Lylatian Chronicles
by Grey S McCloud
Summary: Years after the Angler blitz an uneasy peace has settle over Lylat. With Venom and Corneria finally putting their differences aside,a truce has been reached. But one fatal mistake sends everything into disaster and Lylat disappears forever. With nowhere to go, the remnants flee their ruined home. How will it end? Rated M for mild to severe language, blood, nudity and sexual themes
1. Prolouge

_**(author notes- Due to possible plot confusion, I decided to completely overhaul the prologue. I had noticed it was for the most part somewhat confusing, and ultimately not entirely what I wanted. I do hope you, my readers and reviewers enjoy this prologue more then the previous version. Stay tuned for more of this fanfiction in the coming weeks.)**_

A lone figure stood before a large book easily the size of two large computers, reading over the various text and runes inscribed into it adding bits and pieces of information with a long white quill where they were needed.  
>From the corridor behind him a single shadowed figure came into view. Hearing the footsteps, the gray haired figure turned and smiled at him.<br>"Be welcome friend. I have long been expecting you." He said setting the quill down in a small jar of ink.

With a simple wave of his gloved hand, the book floated away from the robe draped figure and settled upon an out of view shelf.  
>"You have?" He asked while stepping closer to the robed figure.<p>

"Yes. I have long been waiting to meet with you face to face since the very day you were born."

"Who are you?"

"I am known as the Archive Keeper. I write the history of the universe and all of its happenings. All of its victories and failures are recorded here. All the deaths and births among the stars are documented here as well. Everything that has ever happened within our realm has been recorded here since the beginning of time… nearly."

His hand motioned towards the ceiling. The figures mouth hung agape staring up in wonderment. Books of all different colors, lengths sizes, and types neatly set into shelves that seemed to keep going upwards as far as his eyes could see.

"But…what of the others? Did they survive? Did she…?"

"Hmm… I cannot answer that to you yet my friend." The Keeper began to stroke his long gray beard with one gloved hand. As the shadowed figure prepared to speak again, the keeper lifted his hand to silence him.

"Please, keep your peace my friend. When I have finished what needs to be said I will explain everything to you; staring with your friends." He smiled seeing the figure nod slightly in the dim blue light.

The keeper smiled in a very friendly manner before turning and looking up towards the seemingly endless shelves that spiraled upwards into infinity.  
>"I've not had many visitors in my solitude for well over 1000 years."<p>

The figure chuckled slightly to himself.  
>"Well might I suggest getting rid of the psychedelic elemental dragon you had me fight? It certainly deters any form of tourists."<br>The Keeper also joined in the slight laughter at his remark.

"Yes I know my friend it would help now wouldn't it? But you see it is a necessary evil to ensure only the true of heart can enter here. I had to be sure."

The shadowed figure again chuckled.  
>"My young friend," The Keeper spoke. "My time as the keeper is coming to an end. At the end of every age a worthy soul is selected to chronicle the new era as it begins. I have chosen you for this task."<p>

The figure's smile seemed to drop almost immediately at this news."Why me? What have I done to earn this honor?"

"You have proven yourself to be a soul of strong leadership and undying determination. Yes you have made mistakes, but your heart and mind were always in the proper place. And for that, you have been chosen for this task over any other being."

"But…" He started to protest. He was stopped when the Keeper raised his hand to silence him.

"I see you are still unsure as to why I chose you." With a wave of his hand, a book came free from a shelf above where they stood and slowly floated over to him.

"Here we are. This book contains the years when your era was approaching its end." The keeper held the book out to him. The figure stepped closer, took the book from the keeper and began to read aloud.

_Age-346** The Lylatian Chronicles.**_

A 2493 year ballad of a brave system that fought under one banner in the name of justice towards the end of their reign. Although they made many mistakes along the road, they stood by one another at the end and bravely faced oblivion as a single family.  
>The figure stopped reading for a second, pondering what the book was saying.<br>"Keeper, can this book tell the future? It was 2267 when the war officially ended."

"You hold a very solid point my observant friend. Yes, the book can in fact tell the future, although in bits and pieces. The book will tell you everything from the beginning of the age up to the most current events that have been added. I was fortunate to discover the year at which your era came to an end and make necessary preparations. Now please read on my friend. I will answer any other questions you have to the best of my ability."  
>"Preparations? What do yo-"<p>

"I will explain that in time. Now please, continue."  
>Venom, ninth planet of the Lylat system. The once revered scientist Andross Oikonny was exiled to this remote planet on the very edge of the system's border by General Pepper of the Cornerian military. This foreboding and desolate planet was said incapable of harboring any form of life because of its toxic atmosphere and highly acidic oceans. It was said to be a dead planet. It was thought that he would die within a matter of days thanks to the hostile environments. The leaders of the Cornerian council were sorely mistaken.<p>

Andross soon discovered what everyone thought about the floating green rock was false. Venom did in fact have albeit miniscule, an indigenous population of varying species of reptiles. However, it was strange to Andross finding them here of all places. The reptile race as far anyone knew had been wiped out when an asteroid careened into Titania and smothered it in eternal darkness for thousands of years. It is unknown how or why the reptiles escaped to Venom, but when Andross had found them, they were on the very verge of extinction. It soon became clear to Andross that the reptiles sadly were not very intelligent; evident by not only their inability to comprehend simple spoken language, but their inability to provide the simple needs to survive, and with each passing day more and more of their already tiny population passed away.  
>Using his knowledge of water purification and simple medicines Andross did his best to try and improve the living conditions among the reptilian population with somewhat promising results. However while exploring the nearby mountain-ranges, he made startling discovery. Hidden below the surface of the planet lay an ancient and vast library filled with scrolls that contained knowledge long thought destroyed. In addition, he also found what the scrolls described as the planetary resurrection device; a device long thought to be of legend and myth. With the help of his reptilain friends, he found the location of the device and with it he brought life back to the dead world. Under Andross, the reptiles began to flourish. He opened schools to teach them how to read and write. He taught them how to farm, and grow crops. He helped them build a prospering society that one day might help Venom become just as important to the Lylat system as CornerIa had. Sadly, Venom's toxic atmosphere had accelerated his carpal tunnel syndrome. Without any form of modern medical instruments readily available, his hands sadly were removed. This unfortunate event had unforeseen consequences no one could see.<p>

With the loss of his hands, Andross began to slowly drift into insanity. Using the scrolls he'd found in the library and with the help of the reptiles he constructed a pair of robotic replacements in their place. Afterwards he began to teach the reptiles in the ways of warfare and began to arm them with simple weapons and war machines. As the years steamrolled by, he managed to construct a genetics facility with the aid of mercenaries who would raid Cornerian research and development facilities for him. With this he began to mutate the reptiles who followed him so faithfully into stronger, smarter and faster super soldiers bred for one thing, and one thing only. They were bred for war; and in only a few short years Andross's newly designed forces would block out Lylat's ray over Corneria.  
>The activity on Venom began to draw attention from General Pepper. Pepper enlisted the aid of his old friend James Marcus McCloud and his StarFox mercenary squadron; inevitably sending James to his doom. Unbeknownst to James and his Second in Command Peppy Hare the third member of the group Pigma Dengar, had sold them out to Andross in exchange for a place among Andross's forces as a general. When James and his squad arrived to investigate the reported sightings of the mysterious activity, they were ambushed by Pigma and another group of mercenaries known as StarWolf lead by Griffin O'Donnell. James was sadly shot down then captured by Griffin and the reptiles of the newly formed Venomian army. Peppy however barely managed to escape from the rival mercenaries, and returned home to tell Jame's now orphaned son Fox, about his father's fate.<p>

The figure again turned to face the Keeper; a tear breaking from his eye.  
>"And that's when the first war broke out…between us and Venom?"<p>

"Yes…it was most unfortunate that it occurred in this fashion. James… he was a hero among your people. His legacy however continued with his son. He was never truly forgotten. Please, read on."

When Venom first invaded Corneria, many couldn't believe what was occurring at the time. Andross in his exile had attracted many pirates and thugs from all across the system to join him in his war against the oppressive leaders of Corneria who saw fit to banish him for a mistake. The result was an army of overwhelming proportions. The outer planets fell quickly to Andross and his army followed by Fichnia, then finally Katinia. Corneria was in the midst of its finaly desperate battle against Adross's hordes when the newly formed StarFox squadron lead by Fox McCloud assisted in the defense of the capital city and all other outlying cities until the defenders could hold them off indefinitely. Although young and mostly inexperienced, Fox and his squadron quickly began to turn the tide of the war by routing Andross's forces from the inner planets.

The Keeper put his gloved hand on the figure's shoulder causing him to abruptly stop reading.  
>"Because time is short my friend, I will stop you there. When you become Keeper, you will have all the time you desire to relive all of these old memories. Besides, I'm quite sure this all ancient history for you so I will save you the trouble of reading through all this." He said flipping through the many pages that filled the book until a particular date came into view.<p>

"Ah, here we are; the year when everything began to draw to a close for Lylat. I'm sure you remember this well?"  
>The figure nodded slightly wiping another tear that sprouted from his eyelid.<br>Year-2259

In the years following the great Angler Blitzkrieg an uneasy peace has settled across all of Lylatian space. Under the rule of Nazareth Oikonny second nephew of the late Andross, Venom has once again become fertile and life bearing. Nazareth has vowed never to allow war to ravage his home for as long as he remains ruler. To the Cornerians, this was reasonable enough. The eighteen years had passed since the blitz and many had seemed to forget all about war. Economies were booming and relations between the planets and species were growing stronger with each passing day.  
>But, trouble was beginning to brew on Venom.<p>

There was a very rare and mysterious metallic alloy known simply as element blue that the Venomians depended on for their very survival; unfortunately, this vital element was beginning to run dangerously low. The element blue allowed for not only fighter production much like the platinum used in Cornerian designs, but it also powered the air purification and planetary heating generators that allowed the planet to bear life. Because of the toxic gases that would constantly seep out from the planet's core and oceans the air would become toxic in mere minutes without constant adjustments. Standard terra-forming air purification designs simply could not clean the air quick enough to stop the toxins from spreading. Nazareth and his top advisers contemplated for months on finding a solution to this devastating problem, but no solution could be found. In only one year the element blue ore deposits would run dry and anyone planetside would all suffer an agonizing death from the relentless poisons that for now, were held at bay.

However, during a visit to planet Corneria Nazareth made a discovery. The entire Cornerian capital city was sitting directly atop the largest deposit of element blue anywhere else in Lylat. There was enough of the ore to power the purification plants for several decades in addition to the production of several large fleets of fighters, carriers, and escort ships. However, Cornieran officials simply wouldn't allow him and his miners to harvest the ore due to the public outcry against letting Venomians set foot on Corneria. For many months Nazareth and his top scientists and advisers battled with the Cornerians trying to gain permission to mine the minerals, but it was like trying to force ice out of volcanic rock. They simply would not relent. Infuriated by their decision Nazareth crumpled into despair. If Corniera would not allow them to harvest element blue, he and his people would perish in only a few short days. In their despair, the Venomians began to draw up plans on how to escape the planet as the generators began to approach the red zone. Sadly, because the generators used so much element-blue, there wasn't enough blue alloy remaining to construct civilian transports. Knowing that there was nothing left, and most of the generators were shutting down, Nazareth and his generals made a public announcement to the masses of Venom. He told them the truth as any leader should. He told them that in only a few short days, the generators would shutdown and the toxic gases would begin to escape back into the atmosphere. They would all die from asphyxiation or atmosphereic poisoning.

Mere hours before the generators were estimated to shut down, an convoy of Cornerian transport ships descended from the heavens bearing nearly eighteen tons of the vital element blue with them. General Peppey Hare of the Cornerian military himself had organized the salvation effort. Nazareth was dumbfounded by this completely unexpected move. However, Peppy had come with an ultimatum. Raids against civilian vessels and cargo transports had been rising steadily for the past several years. With StarFox officially disbanded, there was no one to protect these vessels, and a full blown military escort was considered a waste of resources. If Venom would be willing to provide manpower to ensure peace on the outer colonies, and protect the convoys, Corneria would be willing to allow them the rights to mine element blue from under the capital. Although Nazareth knew they were blackmailing his people into protecting the other planets and their colonies, he had no real choice other then to accept their bribe.

Two months have passed.  
>Venom is once again peaceful. The generators are once again running at full capacity and the air remains untainted. However, trouble was beginning to brew on Corneria.<br>As the Venomians began to dig deeper into the planet, very odd and strange events began to occur. Civilians and military personal were beginning to go missing, Venomian miners were winding up dead from unexplained cave-ins, machinery and weapons from military bases were disappearing, and seismic activity was beginning to rise to alarming levels. Many began to blame the disturbances on the Venomians although did everything in their power to prove they were innocent of the charges.; and although the facts suggested they were not guilty, many were unconvinced. General Peppy was then forced to contact an old friend and bribe him out of retirement to spy on the Venomian mining camps.  
>The figure looked up from the book to the Keeper yet again a single tear beginning to break through.<p>

"And…that's when the nightmare truly began…"

"Yes." The Keeper hung his head slightly. "I'm afraid so."


	2. The Nightmare begins

December 14th 2259.  
>Operation-Slippery target<br>Estimated Cornerian population-973,844,141.  
>Sitrep- Strange activates continue to grow in intensity, as more civilians turn up missing. Marshal law been activated, to safeguard the well being of the remaining Cornerian population.<p>

"Uh say again savage 7, your breaking up."

"This is Foxtrot Whiskey. We are entering Venomian airspace at 55,000 feet, and are preparing to drop load. The hurricane will be providing cover for the drop."

"Acknowledged Foxtrot. You have a green light for deployment. Good luck, and happy hunting. Command out."

*click* His paws shaking slightly from years of war, the chestnut furred vulpine placed a single plasmatic energy core into the slot of the powerful sniper rifle. He then secured it to the harness on his back. The machine pistol he strapped to his leg was loaded with old depleted uranium rounds as an emergency backup weapon. As it clicked into place, he rotated his shoulder to pop it back into a comfortable position. He slipped on a pair of black gloves with steeled knuckles followed by a helmet with his age old insignia carved into the top of the helmet.

Across from him, a lynx easily in her mid 30s fastened a small machine pistol with a flash hider and red dot optical sight to her waist. When it was secured, she then strapped a black serrated blade to her arm; the buckle that held it down snapped secure. She reached for her helmet, pulling it down snugly over her head, and securing the internal respirator over her muzzle.

And finally, beside the lynx sat the young McCloud, loading flechette rounds into her custom made combat shotgun. Once loaded, she pumped it once to load a shell into the chamber, then switched the safety on. She set it aside, picking up the small machine pistol beside her. The clip slid out the magazine slot and into her paw, completely devoid of any rounds. Taking a small box from the rack behind her, she loaded the clip with .45 devastator rounds. As the final round went in, the ship jerked to the side violently causing the clip to come free from her paw. Fox caught it in his paw before it hit the ground.

As he handed it back to her, the light above the ramp turned dark red; it was her first Halo jump, and she was nervous.

Fox stood up, throwing the large pack over his shoulders containing his parachute, and another over his chest containing his supplies. Both females did the same. Jasmine however was having trouble securing her helmet properly over her head; her paws were trembling making it hard to secure the straps. Miyu helped her with the strap.

"Wolf pack, 40 seconds from the dropzone! Prepare for a Halo drop!" The pilot shouted back to them over the roaring storm outside.

Jasmine, still slightly nervous looked to her father, almost asking for a piece of advice. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know what she wanted. Through his helmet he grinned.  
>"Wait till I give the signal to pull the cord on the chute. If your having trouble, don't hesitate to shout out for help. We're in this together."<br>She looked to him, his words of encouragement raising her spirits slightly.

"Thirty seconds! Ramp coming down!" The Savage pilot shouted again. A soft thump rocked the craft as the lock on the ramp came undone, and it slowly began to lower.

The vulpine smiled one more time.

"I'll see ya on the ground kiddo."

She nodded. She hugged her father before turning to the ramp as it continued to lower.

"10 seconds!" The pilot shouted again.

The ramp locked into position and Jasmine took a deep breath, steeling her nerves.

"Green light! GO GO GO!"

The young vixen inhaled deeply, then followed her parents off the ramp, and into the swirling whirlwind outside.

Outpost High-wind. Remote Cornerian deepspace radar outpost in the mountains overlooking the capital city.  
>Time-12:00 Midnight.<br>December 16th.  
>The howling winds of the blizzard sent a soft shiver down his spine. The husky sat back in his chair, trying everything in his power to keep from going crazy with boredom, but his small handheld game no longer provided the entrainment he'd hoped for.<p>

Even his playfur magazines didn't entertain him anymore. All he wanted was to get away from this outpost, and this godforsaken blizzard and go lay on one of Zoness's resorts. But instead, he's stuck here freezing his tail off in the most remote area on Corneria.

"*Sigh* This is so boring." He slumped down into his chair, allowing the game to fall to the floor.

"Hey Alexei, I got a reply from command! They're saying we'll be rotated out of this frozen dump tomorrow afternoon."

Alexei simply rolled his eyes at the response.

"How nice of command to get us out of here now, instead of when I put in for a transfer 6 months ago."

"Wow, you're such a whiner. Always gotta complain about something don't you?"

"Eh. Stuff a sock in it."

A large hailstone hit the window making them both jump. As they looked out the small window, they could hear the howling winds. It sounded as if the very air itself was alive with hidden screams.

"Man, I sure hope Nikolai is alright out there. Must be damn near -57 out there.

"Ah I wouldn't worry about him. He's been through worse. He's a sniper after all. A little blizzard isn't gonna kill him."

"Still, I think it'd be a good idea to call him in."

The small device connected to his ear chirped softly as he tuned into Nikolai's frequency.

"Nikolai? Come in Nikolai do you read?" Nothing but static was heard on the other end.

"Damn the coms are out." The brown furred canine said with a bit of hesitation.

"Yeah, that must be it. The blizzard must've killed his battery." They stared at one another for a moment.

Lying face down in a near frozen puddle of his own blood, Nikolai gagged as blood began to rush up his throat. The blood covered mandible lowered to his chest flipping him over on his back, bringing his attacker into full view. He began to scream in terror as it stared at him. It swiftly threw a single claw into his ribcage. He felt the sickening crunch of bone and flesh in his chest. He lowered his eyes to see the large claw dug deeply into his ribs penetrating out the back.

"Join us, in eternal glory."

With the last bit of his strength, he cried out in sheer agony, trying to call for help, but his scream was simply drowned out by the howling wind, and raging snow.  
>With the last bit of his life, he gasped his dying breath, slipping into the dark void of death. His body jerked violently as the creature ripped it's mandible out of his spine, tearing small chunks of flesh with it. Blood dripped into the powered snow from his mouth, and back, staining it fleshy red. The creature looked in his now cold lifeless blue orbs of flesh, and saw everything. His wife, his young daughter, and even his oldest son. But, the creature knew what it would do to these beings when it eventually hunted them down.<br>The creature lifted it's claws into the air, then with all it's might screeched like a banshee into the whirling wind, as it prepared to continue the hunt.

Inside the small radar station, both men looked to one another as the scream reverberated through the station. Both looking out the frost covered window, eyes locked on the barely visible landscape.

"What the fuck was that?" Mike whispered.

"How would I know? You think it could've been Nikolai?"

"There's no way in hell that was Nikolai. That was almost…demonic sounding."

"You see that!" Alexei shouted as something shot by the window in a blur of snow and wind.

"See what?"

"Something ran by the window. There's something out there." he whispered to the other, beginning to shake in his steel toed boots.

"W-what was that thing!"

"I'm calling command to get us the hell out of here." Alexei lifted his hand to his communicator in an attempt to contact anyone.

"This is radar base DeepFreze, this is Sergeant Alexei Markov, requesting an immediate evac. Our site has been compromised by an unknown assailant, who has possibly killed a member of our team. I repeat, we need an immediate evac." All he heard on the other end was static.

His heart dropped. He turned to his friend, his face turning pale.

"Whatever's out there knocked out the com tower."

"Are you shittin' me? How could this thing knock out the radio tower!"

"I don't know. It's smart whatever it is." He walked over to the window again, looking out to the swirling winds, and screaming snow. Everything thing was swirling in a beautiful yet dangerous blizzard, which concealed a deadly enemy.

"Look!" Chris shouted, pointing at the window.  
>Something ran by the window, sending snow flying behind it.<p>

They both scanned the window trying to see what was torturing them only to see the white swirling snow.

"Crap get down!"  
>There was a split second of glass flying in every direction, accompanied by an explosion of snow and freezing cold wind. Alexei fell to the floor as something hard and very heavy fell on top of his chest. As he regained his senses from the impact, a small drop of semi frozen liquid fell on his cheek. As he wiped it away, a red smear was made across his glove. With fear coursing through his being, he looked to the thing crushing his chest to discover it was their team's sniper, Nikolai.<p>

"Holy-! Get him off!" Alexei screamed, throwing the lifeless corpse against the wall. The look in Nikolai's eyes, were truly terrifying. The look of death, fear and pain was simply horrifying to one who hasn't experienced anything like it before.

"Mike? Mike where are you?" He shouted above the raging snow and wind, unsure where he'd gone in the confusion. The window that Nikolai had been thrown through now laid all over the floor, surrounded by both freshly shed blood and snow; and what appeared to be...drag marks?  
>The fur on the back of his neck began to stand on end. It was eerily quiet even with the raging blizzard outside.<p>

"Mike? Hey ya there buddy?" Alexei shouted above the raging wind, only to hear nothing respond.

But, his eyes grew wide when he looked over to the area that Nikolai's body laid. It wasn't there anymore.  
>His heart began to beat faster and faster as fear began to invade his mind and the terrifying quiet hiding a menace that he'd not easily defeat. He slowly drew his knife holding it's hilt tightly; so tightly his knuckles began to turn white. He made his way around the corner following the trail, ready for something to jump out at him. He continued to follow the trail until he came to the closet door. A single deep breath was taken, then he reached for the knob. His heart was beating hard enough it felt as if it'd come flying out of his chest. Taking a firm grip of the knob he swallowed hard, then with one swift jerk he swung the door open.<p>

Nothing. The closet was empty. He shook his head softly while letting a soft sigh out. But, he froze midstance when he felt something standing behind him.

"Hello, Alexei."

He spun on his heels, slashing violently behind him, only to strike open air. He'd missed by mere inches, as the unknown attacker back-flipped out of the way, using his foot to knock the knife into the ceiling. Before he could even blink, a sharp agonizing pain ripped through his chest.  
>"AAAAAAGGGHHHHH!" He screamed as loud as he possibly could. The attacker had pounced on his chest knocking him to the floor all the while driving a 6 inch serrated combat knife directly into his chest.<p>

"Don't fight us, join us in eternal glory." Mike hissed, plunging the knife even deeper into Alexei's chest  
>Blood gushed around the knife covering the floor, and his paws in a thick red slurry. Mike using his weight and leverage to his advantage kept Alexei pinned to the floor and plunged the knife still further into his chest cavity.<br>He let out an ungodly scream of agony, as the blade ripped through his heart until it finally severed his spine, and silenced him.

The blood covered gray wolf slowly retracted his knife from the silenced husky's chest, licking the blood clean from it. He stood over his fallen comrade, and smiled demonically.

"And now, we expand out our grasp. We will have our revenge. This planet will belong to us in a matter of weeks. Not even the McClouds will stop us this time. He hissed as his eyes became crusted over with a purple lens.

December 18th  
>12:10 AM<br>An abandoned housing complex two miles behind Venom mining lines.  
>Sitrep- team wolf pack has infiltrated the area without incident, bringing along their daughter. They have begun observing mining operation watching for anything that might link Venom to the environmental disturbances.<p>

Two days. Two long, boring days have passed since the trio had arrived, and nothing had happened since then.

Scanning the scope over the general area, Jasmine watched as the daily activities continued as every other day. The normal everyday routine of hauling the element blue crystals out of the mines, then load them onto Venom cargo ships.

"Jasmine, what do you see?" Fox spoke into his radio crisp and clear.

"Not much. Justa bunch of miners and a few armed guards. Same as always. I don't see why Peppy sent us all the way out here." She replied with a hint of boredom behind it.

"Don't' let your guard down Jasmine. These apes are ruthless to intruders." Miyu spoke soft, yet firm.

"How can they possibly see me?" She spoke a little louder this time, her tomboyish and fiery personality becoming apparent.

"Don't speak to your mother that way young lady. Peppy may have asked you come along, but I'll come down there and haul your tail home, understand?" Fox muttered gruffly, but remaining still.

Jasmine sighed, frustrated with her parents overprotective nature. Turning eighteen the day before, she had begun to feel cheated how her parents wouldn't let her experience the fun that some of her friends got to. Such as raves, all night parties, the freedom of staying out past midnight, and even meeting boys. Her parents being afraid of her being kidnapped, murdered, or even rapped, set very strict rules, for her own protection. But, these rules also conflicted with her social life. She had few friends, and the few she had, where very tolerant of lack of her freedom, and her parents.  
>She sighed again, and leveled her eye with the scope. The activity down below was just as it was every other day she watched them. Eighty miners go in, escorted by ten armed Venom guards then eighty come out again ten hours later. It was a never ending cycle of going in, and out. A constant boring cycle.<p>

As the last miner went down into the mine, one of the guards pulled a cigarette from his vest. She watched as he lit it up.

"Phft. Doesn't he know smoking kills?" Jasmine muttered aloud to no-one in particular.

Moving the scope to the left, she two more guards playing poker near the mine entrance.

"Three pair vs. a royal flush. He's screwed." She said snickering slightly. She moved the scope again, watching two more guards engaged in a boxing match. Both guards were putting up a fierce fight, but neither one was able to knock the other to the floor. Growing bored of them punching each others brains out, she moved the scope over Venom ship leaving the platform.

A glisten of caught the attention of her well developed eyes. Using her scope, she scanned the area she'd seen the light, then froze.

"Wolf 1, wolf 1 come in. We've got a problem." She whispered her heart beginning to race.

Having been in these kind of situations before, he already knew what she was going to say.

"Where?" Is all he said.

"Second house on the right, top floor, second window. Two snipers, and their spotters. One 50cal tungsten and a plasma. All carrying radios. What do we Wolf1?"

"Keep airways clear, and wait for my signal. If things go south, we'll have to take them out quickly. Wolf pack, attach silencers now."

They all complied, attaching the small cylinders to the rifles, not taking their eyes off the sniper team even for an instant.

It felt like an eternity as they watched the rival sniper team. One false move one wayward twitch and the whole operation would be compromised. But, the engagement was over before it had even started. The Venomian sniper team was leaving the area before they had a chance to discover the group.

"Wolf pack, targets are gone. Disengage." Fox sighed, relived it went as well as it did.

He wiped a small bead of sweat from his eyes, then set the scope on the miners again.  
>"They still don't know where here. I want it to stay that way. Wolf3, good work."<p>

A small wave of pride allowed the vixen to smile, but very little. They were still behind Venom city limits, and if they were caught, it could set off a planet wide incident. And this fact kept her on her toes.

A soft scuttling caught her attention.

She pulled her eyes away from the sniper scope, and looked over her shoulder. Nothing.  
>"Wolf1 did you hear that?" She asked quietly to the vulpine two floors above her.<p>

"Hear what?"

"I thought I heard someone up on the next floor."

"There's no one in this building. It was abandoned over a year ago. Maybe it was just a rat."

"Maybe, I'm gonna check it out."

"That's not a good idea. We have no idea if it's a Venom patrol, or a rabid animal. Stay at your post."

"Wolf1 how am I ever going to prove my usefulness to you, if your not going to let me take care of things myself?"

"My orders stand firm Wolf3 Stay put. I'll-" He never got finish, as she switched the radio off, then slipped it into her pocket. She slipped her ballistic shotgun over her shoulder, and upholstered her machine pistol

Gripping it tightly, she walked into the hall adjacent to the stairwell. It was eerily quiet despite the noise coming from the mine. The quiet although was creepy was somewhat comforting in it's own way. She cautiously ascended the stairs. Keeping her pistol and flashlight in the same general area waiting for any unexpected surprises, she slowly made her way up the stairwell.

As she reached the top of the stairs, she again heard the noise. A soft skittering noise.

With her heart skipping a beat, she turned on her heels looking down a long dark hall with a light blue illumination at the very end of it. Her heart began to beat harder as she made her way down the hall.  
>She clicked the safety off her pistol, and readied herself. She'd only ever shot it at the range with her father, meaning, she was unsure what it'd feel like to take another being's life. Would it feel evil? Would it drive her insane? She'd heard stories of marines blowing their brains out to escape the guilt they felt after marching onto the battlefield.<p>

The light grew brighter as she approached. Cautiously, she reached for the handle, then slowly opened the door. Pistol ready, she pushed the door open, slowly crept inside

Cornerian Research, and development Center- Cornerian capital.  
>December 18th 11:00-PM<p>

"Please proceed Doctor Nazareth."

"Thank you miss Phoenix. In it's natural form, element blue resembles a dark blue quarts like crystal, that possess photo-luminescence capabilities. While emitting low doses of alpha radiation, element blue crystals are completely harmless to handle unprotected."

He paused for a moment.

"Although unbreakable by hand, when extreme heat is applied, the atomic structure of the crystals fall apart which we then reassemble into a new metallic alloy in which we use to create out fighter's vital components."

"And this is why you needed to mine the minerals?"

"Yes. If not, then we be unable to produce anymore fighters."

"Then how can you explain the surplus fighters you managed to rally during the second Angler incursion if you were so low on element blue?"

"You see, thanks to our many previous wars many of our weapons bunkers were filled with excess single seat attack fighters. Using the ones that we're in decent condition we took all the element blue materials we could find, and reused them in our newer designs. But, due to the smelting process and the delicate nature of the metal, for ever 5 wrecked fighters we stripped, we only managed to acquire one new working fighter. But fortunately, we managed to provide enough metal to produce an average sized fleet in addition to the amount we had already available."

"You said before that if you didn't acquire element blue, that your people would be trapped on Venom. Why haven't you invested in civilian transports to evacuate your people from the planet and into orbit?"

"Because of the amount of element blue required to create such a craft. In order to create such ships, we need 55,000 tons of element blue per ship. Our current stocks would allow us to create a maximum of 40 ships. However, to evacuate we would roughly 69 or 72 ships. At our current rate of mining, it'll take at least another four months to acquire the amount we need."

"Then what? What will your people do once you've cleared Venom airspace?"

"Me and my advisers were considering leaving Lylat with our remaining population. It's clear that our two planets can never truly live in peace because of the difference between Corneria's canines, felines, and avians, and our reptiles and apes. I've already asked the general public, and most agree."

"So what your saying is that you and your entire population will be leaving Lylat? This is pretty convenient considering the recent events on Corneria."

"I know how this may seem, but as I've said before, we have nothing to do with these events, and all tests on element blue are reinforcing my claims."

"I know this already Nazareth. I'm not accusing you of anything. But, many of the other scientists are very wary of you and the Venomians."

"And for that miss Krystal, you have my deepest gratitude."

She grinned softly.

"But, I can say this for certain, whatever is causing these disturbances will be dealt with swiftly. My top scientists are working nonstop to figure out what is plaguing the planet."

One of the scientists standing behind Krystal scoffed softly. Nazareth turned to him, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Is there something you wish to say?"

He cracked a smile, standing up to face the ape.

"I just find it hilarious that you of all people would want to try and 'save' Corneria."

Nazareth now gave the cocky young man his full undivided attention.

"And why is that?"

"You're an Oikonny. Sworn enemy of the Cornerians, and most of Lylat."

Nazareth sighed slightly, rubbing his forehead with his paw.

"Let me explain this to you very clearly. Andross Oikonny is my uncle. Yes he did wage war against Lylat, but because he descended into madness after the loss of his hands. His experiments could have done wonders if they had been allowed to be finished. I will not defend him for killing James and Vixey McCloud, or the countless innocents who lost their lives because of him, but when it comes to his research he was a genius."

The wolf snorted once.

"A genius? He was psychotic. His research nearly destroyed Corneria."

Nazareth wanted to say something, but refrained from saying anything. He simply sighed.

"Be that true. I will not defend him for his dangerous work. But, I will not allow you to slander his work that did have meaning. If it wasn't for his research half of your weapon wouldn't exist today. He invented the portable self-recharging plasma cells that all of your standard issue weapons use. He also invented the slip space jump gate, which all of you take for granted. In fact, he was the one who began the original testing on arwing project. But, I wouldn't expect someone raised on the lies and hatred for him to know this."

"Do you have some kind of point to this little sob story?"

His limit now pushed to the breaking point, Nazareth looked his dead center.

"Yes there is." With the speed of lightning, Nazareth gripped the wolf collar in his paw, and effortlessly lifted him off the ground. The wolf clawed at his arms in a attempt to force his release, but his claws merely met a metallic alloy surrounding the ape's arm.

"You'll find that quite impossible my boy. You see, my arms were removed after carpel tunnel syndrome destroyed my nerve endings, just like Andross. However, I never lost my mind. As I love my home planet, I love this one to. And I will do whatever it takes to preserve it."

Nazareth dropped the wolf flat on his tail.

"Let this be a enlightening experience for you boy. Not all Oikonnies are made the same. Some of us have a heart."

Unwilling to tolerate the arrogant Conerian any longer, Nazareth turned and began to walk out of the room. His pride hurt more then his being, the wolf stood up from the ground clenching his fists tightly together.

"You'll pay for that chimp!" He shouted launching forward his fist trying to make contact with Nazareth's chin. However, before he could make contact, his fist was stopped dead by a cerulean furred palm.

"That's quite enough." Krystal barked calmly at the wolf. "He'd already said his piece. You have no reason to continue this idiotic behavior."

"Stay out of this you stupid blue bitch." He growled, flashing his canines. She flashed her fangs as well, but more aggressively then the wolf had. It shocked him to see such an attractive woman so fiery. His teeth sank back behind his lips, eyes widening.

"I think you have me mistaken." With one motion of her wrist she flipped him on his back, arm his humerus snapped in two like twigs.

"I'm a vixen, not a bitch. Look it up asshole. Vixen often means fiery tempered woman. And I'm as fiery as they come."

The initial shock passed as the pain of his newly broken arm began to sweep through his body. He coiled up in pain on the floor, his arm now limp and unwilling to move.

"It's pricks like you that make me sick." She spat on him as he recoiled in pain.

She turned to Nazareth once nodded at her then turned and walked out of the room. She smirked once then looked around. No one said a word, but most were smiling.

It didn't take her powers to know what they were saying. It was a small satisfying victory that she wouldn't soon forget. Nor would the wolf.

"Now who's the bitch now tough guy?" She snickered before walking out of the laboratory.

As Krystal left, Phara helped the wolf to his feet.

"Smooth. Real smooth genius."

"Shut the hell Phoenix."

1-hour later. 12:29 AM  
>Thick clouds of steam rose through the air and into the overhead vent. The warm water swept over her body dragging with it the pain and stress of the day with it. The old scars riddled across her torso sang with pleasure as the warm water massaged them. Her entire body felt as if it was melting from the soothing water. Nothing seemed to bother her either. Not the remarks of the arrogant from before, not the life changing acts of vicious killings, nor the choice to leave behind the one person who seemed to understand her better then anyone before. She regretted nothing.<p>

"Water off." No sooner as the command left her lips, the water shut off. She pulled back the curtain stepping onto the soft mat, fur dripping wet. A white towel waited for her. She yanked it off the ring giving her fur a quick run over, catching most of the water in a single run. But, because of fur's natural insulating ability there was still water that the towel couldn't extract. Throwing the towel back over the ring she grabbed ahold of the blow dryer using it to quickly dry out the remaining water trapped under her fur. The warm air tickled slightly.

As she finished she set the drying back down on the counter, and grabbed a clean pair of underwear, bra, then slipped on a pair of sweats followed by a loose t-shirt. A soft sigh escaped her muzzle. The steam began to escape the room as she opened the door. She planted herself firmly on the couch sprawling her arms and legs out comfortably.

She picked the remote up twirling it for a moment.

"There is still no official explanation as to why these disappearances continue to occur all around the city, but speculation grows it has something to do with the Venomian mining camp. Many-" She changed the channel, not wanting to hear anymore.

"I'm here with the current owner of Space Dynamics, who has allowed us to see the newest model of aerial attack fighter. , any information as to what kind of fighter this is?"

A short, yet well dressed green amphibian walked into the camera's view, and adjusted his glasses over his eyes.

"Yes of course. The current model we are in production of, will surpass the previous models in a way that hasn't been seen before since the first Arwings were produced. These new attack fighters will be similar to the Arwing project, but be half the price of a standard Arwing, and will be available for our well trained pilots. In addition to being half the price, they will also be slightly stronger, and faster then the Arwing, and hold more armaments."

"Very interesting. I do have a question, you were in fact once one of the main pilots for the Arwing project correct?"

"That is correct. Me, and four other flew these amazing craft, during our glory days. But now, since we're all retired, at least I am, the Arwing project has been moved to military production instead of standalone manufacturing."

"Thank you for your time ."

"My pleasure."

She flipped the station again, seeing as thought it being over. She flipped from channel to channel, searching for something to watch, until a knock was heard from her door. She set the remote down on the coffee table, and walked to the door curious.

"Who is it?"

"Mrs. Krystal? May I speak with you." An all to familiar voice asked from behind the door.

"….One second."

She quickly unlocked the deadbolt, and opened the door to see Nazareth standing before her.

"Can I help you?"

Without even speaking, he pushed her into the room, then turned and locked the door.  
>"I'm sorry to disturb you Miss Krystal, but I can't trust anyone else." His voice quivered with dread.<p>

Simply unable to explain the mixed emotions radiating from his body, the blue vixen simply raised an eyebrow.

"What are you taking about?"

"The element blue crystals are resonating at ultra psionic frequencies."

She stared at him blankly for a moment, unsure what he was even talking about.

"Meaning...?"

"Meaning they're sending out frequencies well beyond anything we're capable of detecting, unless using extremely sophisticated detectors."

"Alright, your not making any sense. Can you kindly explain what this means to me in Lylatian?"

Nazareth sighed with impatience.

"It means that the crystals are communicating!" He nearly shouted.

"Communicating? With what?"

His paw went to his temples, massaging them softly.

"I fear, it's a dormant species of arthropod arachnidan."

"What!" She screamed. "Are you telling me we've awoken a new strain of aparoids!"

"That's just it. I don't think we ever really killed them off even with the apoptosis weapon."

His paws came away from his head and fell to his sides. His eyes locked with hers.

"But I can say this with certainty. This new strain is stronger then the previous. It possesses all of the strengths of the previous brood, with the added of not having any cells meant for self destruction. Our previous method of destroying them is out of the question."

She never took her eyes from the ape even for a second.

"How long?" Is all she asked.

"I don't know. But, when the queen hatches, it'll be the end of Lylatian existence as we know it."

December 18th

12:30 AM

Jasmine was thrown up against the wall, her head pounding with pain. As she recovered, quickly the spider made another rush at her which she managed to dive away from. It leaped onto the wall as it missed. Using her machine pistol she fired round after round at the huge purple spider clinging to the wall. A single round struck it's left leg sending a shower of purple blood into the air and across the wall behind it. It screeched loudly raising it's front two mandibles into the air. In the blink of an eye it rushed forward, knocking the pistol from her paws and nearly impaling her with one of it's many long mandibles. She drew her knife as quickly as possible and buried it deeply in it's back leg causing it to screech in pain again accompanied by blue and purple blood spilling on the floor. While it was dazed she quickly kicked it across the face causing it to stumble back a few inches. Now completely agitated, the spider roared loudly, and stared at her with it's beady black eyes. She took a step back trying to gain a foothold, and preparing to fight for her life.  
>The creature charged forward with lighting fast speed, slamming it's entire girth into her stomach, and causing her to fly through the thin plaster wall. The wall crumbled around her as her entire body broke through. Lying on her chest gasping for breath, a great pain struck through her abdomen, and a warm liquid could be felt running down her fur, to the floor. She tried to stop the bleeding, but was stopped feeling a large piece of metal buried deeply, cutting through flesh tendon, and muscle.<p>

Silent tears of pain rolled down her face, matting the fur under her eyes. She tried to crawl over to her pump action, but was stopped when the creature flipped her over on her back, then impaled it's front mandible into her calf, pinning her to the floor indefinitely. She tried to scream as loudly as possible. She tried to crawl away, but fell of her face, quietly sobbing in agony. To make matters worse, It impaled another mandible into her other calf, then two more into both arms. She tried with all her might to scream again, but now the pain was so great she choked up as she began. No sound could be made with the amount of pain that was coursing through her body.

The creature leaned it's face close to hers, and laughed in a sinister and insect like tone.  
><em>"Do not be afraid. I shall free from your mortal bonds my queen. You shall lead us to everlasting glory and prosperity."<em>

Her eyes wide as an eight inch proboscis began to slither out of the creature's mouth, slowly descending to her chest. Trying with all her might, she tried to reach for the knife that lay merely and inch away from her fingertips. But try as she might, the spider prevented her even coming close.  
>She turned her face away from the creature knowing her death had arrived.<br>_"No. I want you to see your glorious ascension to that of God."_

Using another pair of mandibles, it gripped the side of her face and forced her to watch as the proboscis continued to descend. Her eyes widened as it pushed into her skin effortlessly slicing through both fur and flesh directly above her heart. As it drove even deeper fire began to erupt beneath her fur. She gasped as hard as her lungs would allow. Her eyes shut forcefully as the pain grew more and more intense.

But, the pain stopped abruptly. When she opened her eyes, she found herself floating in an empty space filled with white light. She naked, but it didn't seem to bother her at all. A wonderfully pleasurable feeling began to wash over her entire being as if it was radiating from her very soul.

_"Jasmine"_ a voice called to her from the empty white void.i _"Do you want to be strong? Powerful? Beautiful?"_

"Who's- who's there!" She shouted worryingly into the void.

A large glowing object began to appear before her which began morphing into a young women. She resembled no known species she'd ever seen. The creature was more ape like then anything, but with large blue antennae sprouting from the sides of her head, and large gem like eyes. Instead of fur, scales covered her entire body.

_"My dear child, there is nothing to fear. I simply offer you happiness. Isn't that what you want?"_

The creature extended her hand towards Jasmine.

_"Join us, and you will nothing but happiness."_

Jasmine hesitated for a moment. But something was slowly winning her over. She began to extend her paw towards the creature, beginning to smile softly.

_"That's it my dear. There is nothing to fear."_

But before Jasmine could touch it's hand, the entire void began to shake violently. Screams began to resonate from every corner and blood began to rise up from the floor.

_"NO!"_

It screamed in an insect like tone. She was thrown to the floor by an unseen force. As she tried to get on her feet an invisible force pinned her body to floor. Blood began to flow from her arms and calfs from unseen wounds. The pain began to flood her system once again. She screamed as loud as possible as the creature that had pinned her before appeared again directly above her.

_"If you will not join us on your own accord, then I shall take your body by force foolish little girl."_  
>The creature that had stood before her as a beauty, now began to morph into a large grotesque figure. Long razor sharp talons began to sprout from her fingertips, a long scorpion tail began to stretch out of it's back, and it's eyes faded dark black. It slithered towards her placing it's claw above her breast.<p>

_ "I **WILL** have this body as my new vessel. Nothing will stop me!"_ She screamed while plunging her talon into Jasmine's chest cavity. Jasmine's jaw simple flew open. She had breathe to expel, nor any fight left to give.

_"Yes, give in to my will little one. Soon you shall be free of your worries."_

Just as the creature was wrapping it's long talons around Jasmine's heart, it was thrown back violently across the void shrieking in pain. The spider that pinned her was also thrown back. It screeched loudly as a fresh hole was torn through it's left eye.

"Get the fuck away from my daughter!" Someone shouted from inside the void. Jasmine's mind now free from the spider's influence began to return to reality. The spider was screaming across the room with both eyes oozing purple blood in every direction while being riddled with even more round from two different types of weapons. Despite her current state, she could feel the discharged heat of the plasma weapon and the slamming hammer of the ballistic. But, her strength gone, and pain unbearable she submitted to the darkness, and fell into comatose.

"Die bug die!" Fox screamed as he lept onto the creature unloading a full clip of depleted uranium rounds into it's skull. The rounds tore through the hard exoskeleton as if it were swiss cheese, dragging large chucks of purple shell and biomass with it. When it finally collapsed on the ground, it did so with a loud thump.

Miyu lifted Jasmines head in her arms putting two fingers under chin checking desperately for a pulse.

"She's still breathing. Oh god what have they done!" Miyu nearly screamed choking back her tears.

"We don't have much time. We have to get her out of here before the infection begins to take root."

Miyu nodded softly. She took the emergency blanket from her pack and wrapped Jasmine in it. She took off running through the apartment complex, holding her daughter tightly in her paws.

Fox looked at the husk of the creature blood now pooling under its body.

"How in the maker's name did they come back?" He whispered as he inspected the fallen insect warrior. He pulled his knife from it's sheath, and cut a small section of it's head, and placed it inside a small vial, which he tucked inside his vest. It would probably be of use later. His heightened sense of hearing picked up the distinct sound of scuttling coming from the room next door. It was time to leave, or die.

Picking up his both weapons he bolted out of the room just as two more large spider like creatures came crashing through the wall.

His headset chirped for a moment. Peppy was hailing him.

"Fox, what's going on? Miyu just called in an evac for you."

"Peppy, Peppy they're back!"

"Whoa slow down. What's going on? Who's back?"

"The aparoids! The aparoids!"

"What! Are you sure!"

" Alert the CDF and the Venomian special forces! This isn't a joke old man just do it!"

Peppy went white as Fox finished his statement. He backed away from the intercom, then looked up through the glass pane window to the stars above.

"What evil have we unleashed...maker save us."


	3. Enter ShadowForce

_**(AN-To my readers I must apologize for taking so long to finally post this chapter. With things getting as hard as they are with the economy and financial situation I'm finding it harder and harder to find the time to type for more then a few minutes.)**_

But please enjoy Chapter3 of the Lylatian Chronicles.

* * *

><p>"Keeper?" The figure asked setting the book down on the stand before him. "You said before there were books from across the stars. What did you mean by that?"<p>

The keeper set down his quill back into the vile of black ink and turned to the figure grinning at his question while stroking his long gray beard.  
>"A fine question. As you undoubtedly know, our dimension is not the only one out there. There are other worlds that sit side by side with us, separated by the thin fabric of time and space. I am not the only keeper out their either. I am merely the writer of our dimension's history. However, when another keeper or chronicler as they are referred to as in some dimensions, crafts a book, I can access it by creating a rift between our two realms. The same can be said for the others." Another book came free from higher atop the shelf and slowly hovered down to them stopping a few inches before the shadowed figure.<br>"This is one such book." The keeper explained. The book was large and bound with leather which had been dyed in a deep amethyst color, with small spirals of golden accents wrapping around the edges until they met in the middle again. "This one belonged to a young hero who had saved his realm from darkness around the same time that Jasmine was born. He gave up everything to free his home from the grip of a dark foreboding evil risking life and limb for the things he loved most, and towards the end of the war he managed to win the heart of his archenemy, and defeat the master of darkness that had snared everything in shadow."

The figure raised a brow at the last statement, unsure of what he meant.  
>"You lost me. He won the heart of his archenemy, what do you mean by that?"<p>

The figure chuckled slightly taking note of the figure's curiosity and attention to detail.  
>"During his war, there was a general who wanted nothing more than to kill the hero because her master wanted to destroy the only thing that could defeat him. When the young hero fought against the general, he freed her from an evil curse that held her mind and soul imprisoned. Because he freed her she vowed to repay him by fighting alongside him against the darkness, risking her own life to help him complete his task. And when victory was assured, she gave him her heart and soul. I've read their tale many times now, and it still surprises me to no end how these two children managed to defeat an evil even greater than Andross, and still walk away with their lives. I'm sure you will say the same when you find the time to read it as well."<p>

The figure shrugged slightly. "So, what happened to him and this general he fought?"

The Keeper grinned, somewhat amused at his curiosity. "I can say with great joy that the hero and his mate are alive and well, happily living out the remainder of their lives with their young daughter."

As the figure was about to speak, a dull blue light appeared from behind a curtain that concealed the same doorway he'd entered through a little while ago. The keeper grinned slightly feeling that distinctive presence appear in his library. "Ah, she's returned." He mused causing the figure to raise a brow at him. The keeper simply waved it off, and turned towards the curtain that covered the arched doorway. "Welcome back my dear. I trust that your latest outing was successful?"  
>The sound of popping joints echoed through the large room followed swiftly by a sweet feminine voice the likes of which the figure hadn't before. "Yes it was." The female mused. "The amount of information I've collected should be sufficient, although, I must consult with the other chroniclers before I can make that assumption." He smiled as the female came out from behind the curtain. The figure that stood next to him seemed to drop his jaw at the sight before him.<p>

"Crona," the keeper began. "It is so good to see you again my dear." she smiled sweetly at his words, moving closer to the old man before her. She extended a single wing towards him, wrapping him in a gentle hug with the onyx tinted membrane. The keeper proceeded to stroke her long serpent-like neck with hand as she kept him embraced in the friendly hug.

"And you as well Adamas. It's been far too long my friend."

The figure felt his body freeze at the sight before him. There standing before him was a creature said only to exist in legend, and yet here she was, standing before him with a large, no, a VERY large wing wrapped around the keeper.

"Is she a..." He hesitated to finish his sentence as Crona turned towards him. Both nodded at his unfinished question. "I thought they were all extinct!"

They both chuckled in amusement at his comment. Crona unfurled her wing from the keeper allowing him to move a few paces away, then lowered herself to the floor while resting her head on her paws still smiling at the figure that stood before her completely dumbstruck. "In your dimension, yes that is true. The dragon race has long been extinct. I'd say from what I've gathered they were wiped out just after Sauria formed. I come from the same realm as the young hero that Adamus has undoubtedly told you about."

The figure took a hesitant step towards the dragon, watching intently for any sudden movements that might betray an attack.

"But, if what you say is true, then what was that creature fought with us during the war? If that wasn't a dragon...?"

Crona cut him off with a soft snort. He jumped back in fright at her unexpected gesture causing her to giggle slightly. It was obvious he was skittish around a creature as large as she was. "I did say the species itself was extinct because there are none capable of restoring the entire species to full power. However, I can still sense one dragon lost somewhere. Where I'm not wholly sure, but his presence is like a spark of fire in a sea of darkness. It's rather hard to miss." She paused, sighing somewhat sadly. "But, I can't seem to remember his name...Oxidus?...no, no...Magnitus?...Asertus?...Cynestros?..Gah...what was his name..." The large white and onyx colored dragoness mussed while searching her thoughts for the name. "I can't quite remember his name, but I know it was the same one who fought alongside you during the war. Although I'm curious, his name is in the books of deceased creatures, however I can clearly feel him alive and well. What do you make of this Adamas?"

The keeper that the figure assumed was named Adamas sighed before again stroking his beard."I cannot say for sure, but he might be another Chronicler dragon like yourself."

"Wait," The figure quickly interjected. "I believe he said his name was Crescent-Eye, some kind of Cerinian guardian that challenged warriors when they came of age. From what Krystal had told me he'd often challenge these warriors by pulling them into a dream in which he can battle them with no ill-effect on their physical condition."

Crona's head snapped up from the floor eyes wide with the new information. This gesture again caused the figure to jump back startled by her sudden movement.  
>"By the ancestors, that's it! He's a Dream Weaver!" She laughed aloud snapping two of her talons together.<p>

Adamas chuckled realizing what she meant. "Yes I must agree, it does make sense now that you mention it."

The figure scratched his brow as the two continued to laugh. When Crona noticed his expression, she snorted once before laying her head back down to her paws.  
>"A Dream Weaver as they're called in my realm is a term for those who can manipulate other creature's dream, hence their name. Crescent-Eye is one such dragon if what you're telling me is true." She concluded with a satisfied grunt.<p>

"Wait wait wait." The figure spoke shaking his head rapidly."You mean to tell me that Crescent-Eye is a dragon from your realm? And on top of that, he's still alive even after being caught in the photonic detonation?"

Again, Crona snorted while nodding her head in confirmation. "To put it quite bluntly, you just hit it on the nail-head. From what I can guess Crescent-Eye is in fact from my realm, although I'm not wholly sure how he arrived in your dimension." She scratched her chin quite casually with the tip of her claw, wondering what the possible answer could be.

"Hmm." She sighed aloud. "I might need to do a bit of research about this. Adamas, could you help me find as many books about him? Him being a Dream-Weaver and yet appearing here of all places has me quite enthralled."

"But of course. I assume you'll be staying here while you research this information?"  
>He asked, while looking for the proper books among the various shelves and cabinets.<p>

"Yes. I'd like to know everything about him." She mused grinning somewhat playfully. "Plus, I'd like to personally watch as he," She motioned to the figure who was still hidden by the shadows. "Becomes your replacement."

Adamas began to laugh heartily at her sly little comment. "Why my dear, are you that anxious to get rid of me? Haha! And I thought we were such good friends."

Noticing their attention was no longer directed towards himself, the figure sighed softly before picking the book back up from its spot on the stand and resumed from his previous spot.

* * *

><p>Silence...<br>Darkness...  
>The sense of vertigo, freefall.<br>Nothing.

"Hello?"...Silence...

"Is anyone there? Hello?"...Silence...

"Hel-"

"Salutations Fox. Raodlodio ui he0uimo toj hêloj ékohdocj."

"Wha-! Who's there?"

...Silence...

"Um...Hel-"

"Je jiaj seddi semmo co he0uimo to MiinDoHahnus zo jiaj ehawaduaho. Keikoveaj, coj mehkocj semmo leij m'uloq teddé c'œac ti Croissant-dem. "

"I...I can't understand you! What are you saying?"

"Ux jisx aj kxo jamfcasak0 ev kxo mehkuc madt. Idurco ke idtohjkudt olod kxo mejk jamfcajkas jodkodso ad kxo mekxoh cudwiuwo. Loh0 nocc MlLvean, cok ij mook 0ok uwuad vuso ke vuso.

"Why can't you just speak Lylatian! I can't-" He was cut off when the all too familiar sound of a falling plasmatic motor began to ring in his ears.  
>"Oh no."<p>

Time- 8:20 PM.

Unknown Papetoonian outpost

"Incoming!"

The world blurred into focus. A time from his past, his teenage years began to materialize before him, and those old memories and horrors began to play out before him just as the day it occurred.

The figures that were obscured by the raging sandstorm in the distance were falling one by one as both he and the other Papetoonians fought with an almost animalistic like ferocity. The scream of the overhead artillery shell echoed through the fox's ears followed by a rock-shattering explosion. As if to respond to these rounds, a nearby LandmasterMK4 variant began to spin up its plasmatic chain-gun in preparation to lay down heavy suppressive fire. The sand began to wisp around the barrels like a small tornado. As it began to fire the noise coming from its three barrels were like the screams of a dying banshee. The heat discharged from the plasmatic residue caused small thunderous thuds that rattled his teeth with each shot. However, the massive tank was silenced when a heavy artillery round slammed into the barrel itself, splitting it in half. The tungsten rod punched through the exoskeleton of the tank, striking the main dark matter resonance drive. The impact set out an unrecoverable chain reaction as the core was punctured. The crew never even had time to scream before the tank exploded into a bright ball of blue plasmatic residue. The concussion from the blast robbed the wind from his chest and knocked him onto the ground. He lay there for a moment as his head reeled from the sudden blow, until a gloved paw gripped the collar of his vest, yanking him to his feet.

"Get up damn it! We don't have time to be napping!"

The vulpine staggered for a moment before finding his footing. The lieutenant handed his rifle back to him with heavily shaking paws. As the vulpine took the weapon, the lieutenant tapped his helmet a few times before rejoining the fight. He didn't take more than five steps before a large shadow over took him. As he looked up, his eyes widened into saucers, and his scream of fear echoed across the battlefield. His body exploded into a ball of glowing white plasma; disintegrated in no more than a mere fraction of a second. The fighter swooped down over the lone vulpine passing only a few feet above; performing a perfect 360 degree spin before hitting its afterburners and rocketing back towards the sky. In the wake of its powerful after burn, a huge plume of dust and debris slammed into the vulpine, obscuring his vision as it threw him to the ground. When it finally began to settle and the vulpine regained his footing, something amongst the cloud of dust and sand caught his attention. It was like a shimmer of reflected light that appeared for a moment before disappearing as quickly as it appeared. As Fox lifted his rifle towards the direction of the shimmering light it appeared again, this time however closer than before. A sudden gust of wind caught him off guard once again knocking him to the ground. As he fell flat on his face and the dust cleared away, the sound of crunching gravel and ruble echoed hollowly through his ears. It stopped mere feet from his position. As he summoned the courage to lift his head, he could feel two powerful eyes bearing down on him. Slowly, he lifted his head upwards meeting the gaze of something from a medieval fantasy.

Before the vulpine stood a single figure who held a dual sided spear with a tri-pointed tip in one paw, and a shield covering the other. The armor the warrior wore shimmered and glistened in the rusty colored sunlight. Atop its head was a large and somewhat exaggerated golden helmet, encrusted with a few shining gems of different colors. Twin horns ran along the side of his helm curving downward slightly as it cleared the top of his head. The elongated muzzle-guard had a single horn protruding just a few inches behind where the nose would be. Two red lenses covered the warrior's eyes which glistened beautifully in the rusty colored air. Along the back of the helm, there was a row of small spines which were connected by a thin sheet of membrane. If it wasn't for the fact that it was connected to the helm, the vulpine would have sworn it was part of the wearers head.

His chest piece was just as extravagant as the helm. Two large winged beasts sat on either side of the wearer's breastplate, both seaming to be breathing fire at the other only to have it collide at the center of the armor in an explosion of silver trimming. Twin gems that shone like wildfire made up the creature's eyes, both of which contrasted each other in color. Twin straps of leather met just under the serpents, held together by a large silver amulet that sported an unusual flame design. His shoulders were covered by large single plates of molded metal just as if not more elaborate than his chest piece, bearing strange ancient looking runes of what looked to be either more gold or some kind of platinum. Another set of the strange serpents with wings sat chiseled into the shoulder guards like great stone sentinels. His hips and greaves were not as flashy as the rest of the armor, but they were decorated with other strange patterns, and more of the serpents, plated in what looked like sterling silver. The shield however was a single sheet of heavy crystalline like material. It was roughly half the size of his body with the ends tapered off into long jagged tips a single large gem resting on the top edge.

The vulpine looked at the armor clad warrior unsure what to do. The warrior simply didn't move as the two stared at one another.

"Teds, deij deij hodsedkhedj; vuso à vuso McCloud." The warrior spoke in an unusual tongue.

Fox didn't move as the warrior turned to face him directly. His grip in the rifle increased as his heartbeat began to race.

"Leij do jomrcoq fuj foih to mea. Do shuawdoq-leij fuj coj shéukihoj to céwodto?" He spoke again.

Fox took a single step back trying to put distance between him and the warrior. In the time it took him to take the step, the warrior was already holding the tip of the spear to Fox's throat.

"Maybe this tongue is more appropriate? I would have expected even a child like you to understand the language of the old ones."  
>The vulpine simply held his breath. He dared not move, nor speak. But all around him the battle continued to rage on as if neither of them existed.<p>

"Hmmm. Why do you not speak? Do I intimidate you that badly?"

Fox blinked at the comment in confusion.

"Speak, before I run you through." He shouted more aggravated than before. He pressed the tip of the spear harder against his throat almost to the verge of drawing blood.

"What do you want me to say? You've got a spear to my throat, and I don't even know who you are." Fox hesitantly spoke.

He could hear the creature chuckle softly from inside the helm. The spear came away from his throat much to his own relief. In one swift motion, the warrior buried the tip into the ground, also allowing his shield to fall away from his arm and lean against the spear's shaft.

The warrior chuckled again through his helmet. "Young McCloud, you do know who I am. You just choose not to remember me. Your father knew of me, as did your mother. They both knew that I was watching over them and you as well. It's quite humorous that you choose not to remember." He said staring at the confused fox.

Fox grew rather frustrated by the remark. He tried to take a step forward, but in the blink of an eye, the spear was once again pointed into his throat.  
>"I wouldn't do that if I were you hatchling. I'm far more experienced in combat then you are."<p>

Fox could feel something strange. Not the blade that held firmly to his throat, but an excess amount of heat coming from the helmet. With each exhaled breath the warrior took, the air seemed to heat up dramatically.  
>On top of that, each time a breath escaped his helm, the foul stench of sulfur licked Fox's nostrils, threatening to send him into a fit of nausea. It took most of his concentration to push the stench out of his thoughts. Each time he took in the foul odor he was reminded of the horrid and barren fields of Venom, but even they didn't compete with this new and powerful stench.<br>The warrior chuckled again.  
>"I see you're more resilient that I thought. Lesser beings would have fainted the moment they got a whiff of my ability. I must applaud you for that." His spear again came away from Fox's throat, embedding itself into the ground a soft thump.<p>

"Time is short Fox. This dream will come to an end in a few moments, so I must tell you. In the very near future there will be a great upheaval and your family will be in even greater danger than they already are. Many of those you know and love will be ripped away and those who call you their ally will shatter your trust and break all bonds of fellowship. To put it very simply Fox James McCloud, your very way of life will change and everything around you will be gone in the mere blink of an eye." Suddenly, the entire world around them began to ripple furiously. The figure noticed this and swiftly took a single step away from the vulpine, picking both his spear and shield up simultaneously. "I cannot and will not explain further. My time is now at an end. But, I will see you again in the very near future Fox. I just hope you will think of me as a friend, and not a foe."

As the final few words escaped from under the helm, the world began to distort as the magic that was keeping him bond to the dream-like state began to dissolve. The sounds of the guns began to grow hazy, and the figure slowly dissolved into the background. A bright light consumed the world, until it faded into a black veil. The blackness was replaced by a brilliant swirling snow, only separated by a thick pane of glass. His pounding heart was only combated by the distinct droning on an EKG, the sweat pouring from his brow and the throbbing pain that began to slowly rack against his semi-conscious thoughts.

* * *

><p>1 day prior<p>

"Straps! We need straps now!" Someone shouted above the ensuing chaos.

It was nearly after midnight within the Fichina genetics medical facility. Above the howling snowstorms outside, the haunting cry of the infected vixen echoed throughout the facility, throwing the whole staff into a frenzied state.

It had been only an hour since they had brought the young vixen into the facility, but already the virus had begun to take root. Long blue and purple veins had begun working its way up and down her torso as well as her throat. Her fingers were already beginning to sprout long hard blade like nails and a deep purple hued gem began to spread over her eye. Her arms thrashed around violently threatening to shred anyone who dared get too close into ribbons.

"Sedate her! Sedate her now! 1000 milligrams of Supitocam stat!"  
>In a blur of red fur one feline nurse quickly tried to follow the frantic doctor's orders. As she pushed the hypodermic needle into the small glass vile of potent drugs a medical tray careened into her paw; shattering the jar and her wrist in the process. It took the nurse a few moments to realize what had just happened. Once the initial shock wore off the nurse tried to scream from the pain that ripped through her body. There was loud and obviously audible THUMP as her head smashed into the counter. The red furred feline collapsed to the ground, a small trickle of blood running down the side of her face; blacking out on the floor in a white lump of medical attire.<p>

"Damn it, there goes that option!" Someone shouted over the roaring and snarling that was somehow escaping Jasmine's throat. One of the less experienced assistants felt fear gripping at his senses, and began to back away from the snarling young vixen only to stumble into a medical tray laden with dozens of surgical instruments. As he tripped over the legs of the table, both the table and the assistant toppled head over heels sending a volley of razor sharp instruments flying through the air. As everyone ducked and dodged to avoid being shish kabobbed by the deadly projectiles, one nurse strayed too close to Jasmine's striking range. Seizing her chance to inflict pain and possibly spread the virus, Jasmine lunged her long purple claws towards the nurse; grinning in satisfaction as she tried to scream. The sound of ripping cloths and tearing flesh echoed throughout the room causing everyone present to freeze in place at the sight before them.  
>Jasmine although still restrained to the gurney, had plunged her long talons directly into the young nurse's chest, mere inches from her racing heart.<p>

As quickly as she had entered, Jasmine retracted her claws from the nurse's chest retching flesh, bone and muscles from the chest cavity while a sickening and blood thirsty grin began to sprout across her jaw line.  
>"Oops..." She chuckled, a heavy insect like tone now present and growing stronger with each forced giggle.<br>The nurse gave a soft squeak as her final breath escaped her ruptured body before falling flat on her face, blood pooling around her now lifeless form.

"Damn it..." The blue furred vixen muttered walking into the room, a small defensive blaster in hand.

"Krystal, we don't know what to do. We can't even get near her-" The assistant was silenced by the blue furred vixen's paw striking the length of flesh known as his snout. She struck quickly, but not very hard. The assistant took a step back reeling from the damaging blow.  
>"I thought I trained you all better than this." She growled allowing her white teeth to flash before her medical staff. "What is the number one thing you are supposed to do when a patient is infected with the Aparoid virus?"<p>

No one answered. Every single assistant and nurse all hung their heads in shame, realizing the grave mistake that had cost them the life of a respected colleague.  
>Krystal growled in irritation. "Alright then...it seems as though everyone has miraculously forgotten the number one rule when dealing with A-type infections. Let me drill it into all of you once more." She growled again.<br>"Step one- Secure the patient fully. Arms, legs, and torso are to be restrained with eight-fifty tinsel strength straps. Step two- Ensure all medical staff maintain a minimum safe distance of at least six feet from the victim at all times. Step three- When patient is secured, activate ultra-sonic inhibitors to first slow the progression of the virus, then secondly, render the victim and the control parasite unconscious. Step four- When the virus has been stopped both the parasite and viral crystals must be removed immediately." She scanned the room with her brightly lit sea green eyes.

"Did everyone catch that?" Everyone nodded slightly, most still embarrassed to say anything.

"Good!" She let out a loud and very frustrated semi-roar. "Because the next time this happens, I'll let the damn virus take over and kill everyone here! Do you understand me?"

"Yes mam." They muttered in agreement. As they finished, Jasmine let out another furious roar causing everyone in the room to bristle their fur in both shock and terror; all expect Krystal. She turned towards the infected vixen, daggers lancing from her sea green eyes directly into the young vixen's now corrupted soul. "Shut up." She snarled loudly at the vixen. Jasmine stopped her screaming for a moment to look at the blue furred fox that stood a mere seven feet away. Its crystal glazed eye squinted and a sinister smile spread from ear to ear. "You...I remember...you. You're the telepath that defeated me the last time." It paused for a moment severing the bindings that held her down with a single flick it her wrist. You...are...Krystal, a Cerinian...Perfect..." It snickered.

Krystal felt her blood run cold. It was her. The Queen Aparoid from almost twenty years before, and she was licking her chops with a blood thirsty smile.

However, the sudden fear didn't last long as she brought her fists up in a defensive manner. All the other medical staff in the room bolted towards the door in a mad scramble to escape the coming explosive battle that was to occur between these two super-beings. As the final staff member ran out of the door, slamming it closed with a violent tug Krystal and the infected Jasmine began to circle one another, Krystal with her paws up in a defensive manner, while Jasmine raised her long crystalline talons allowing the halogen light above to gleam off the.

"You shall make for a perfect warrior Krystal...Strong, cunning, and overflowing with undiscovered powers." The queen hissed with an almost monotone insect voice.

She smirked before parting her lips to let her brilliant white fangs to come to bear.  
>"And you're going to make a nice chandelier when I get through with you."<p>

"It that really wise to taunt the ruling of not only the swarm...?" She mused scratching her chin with the long imposing talons. "But the ruler of McCloud's young daughter...?" The Queen began to grin wider with each passing second. Krystal hearing that word froze as the demon spoke to her. "Daughter...? She's...hi-" Her eyes began to widen at the sudden resemblance she now saw. The solid black streak that ran between her ears was a dead giveaway. However, why she hadn't seen it before raised a question. Who was the mother? She got her answer by looking at the sporadic spots that lined her arms, and a few black facial markings that ran parallel to her snout and eyes. The little tufts on her ears also aided in finding the answer. There was only one other female she'd known of that could have made that combination even remotely possible.

"Miyu..." She growled softly while gritting her teeth tightly together.

The queen narrowed its purple coated eyes at Krystal.

"So, you do know her mother. Or should I say..." Krystal saw the purple veins creep even farther up Jasmine's body. "My mother?"

The infected vixen lunged at Krystal with her long purple talons slicing effortlessly through the air. Her eyes widened. Using the blaster in her paw, she fired a perfectly centered blob of plasma directly into Jasmine's chest sending the infected girl flying through the air until she met the solid steel wall with the back of her skull. She crumpled to the floor screaming in pain, yet Krystal didn't feel the least bit sorry for her.  
>"You need to learn some manners 'oh queen of the aparoids'. It's not polite to try and hit someone." She hissed while charging another blast of concentrated plasma.<p>

"Oh it isn't I who needs some manners," the queen snickered as she rose to her feet, clutching her chest in obvious pain. "It's you who needs to learn your place little one." The cauterized wounds began to bleed slightly from the queen's movements, cracking the blackened fur and scaly blue exoskeleton that was beginning to grow. Krystal again shot the mutated vixen in the chest, forcing her to drop to a knee while fresh tainted blood splattered across the marble white tiles.

"You're going to regret that." It hissed with it's now deformed serrated teeth forming a terrifying snarl. "I'm going to make you squeal for mercy before I consume you soul."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile...in orbit over Macbeth primary space port and evacuation center.<br>Cornerian Special Forces codenamed-Shadow Force aboard the Venomian Capital ship Fallen Amber under Admiral Jackal TriKill

"So, what's the situation on the ground?" Colonel Richard O'Neal; Commanding officer of the Shadow Ops Special Forces, or simply Shadow-Force questioned to the hyena who stood beside him. Jackal grinned slightly at the question.  
>"Well, from what ma' boys on da ground are sayin' mon, dem Aparoids? Dey be moving across dem military bases like ants to mammas home cookin'. Dey be tearin' us a whole new tail end mon."<p>

O'Neal ran a claw under his chin, scratching his somewhat gray goatee. He followed the graying facial hair up his own jaw line tracing it until he found the long shrapnel scar. "Great...that just makes things a whole lot more complicated then." He mused while gingerly tracing the scar along the length of his muzzle until it stopped just under his eye socket.

"Well, ma' best troops be waitin' for ya on da ground. Dey be willing to provide ya wit' whateva' ya be needin'."

"Good. I'm not sure what your boys can provide in the way of support...but anything will make my job easier."

Jackal placed both his paws on the holographic projection table while looking towards O'Neal, unsure of what exactly he had meant by that.  
>"Speaking of which, I don't tink' Peppy told me what it is you was supposed to be doin' down dere."<p>

O'Neal sighed bringing his claws to rub against his throbbing temples while letting out a soft tired sigh of discomfort.  
>"Some selfish bastard went ahead and stole the last civilian transport from the dry dock stranding around two-hundred civilians, and around between either two-hundred or three-hundred military personnel. Our job? Go in, and rescue the civies, and your boys as well. But...I find it ironic."<p>

"Why be dat mon?" Jackal mused raising an eyebrow at his statement.

"The same bastard that took the transport? He crashed into the ground when a swarm of Aparoid kamikazes broke into the cockpit. He was ripped apart in just under ten seconds." The armor clad soldier chuckled slightly. Jackal even brought himself to join in the soft laughter.

"Now O'Neal" Jackal broke the small laughter "Let's be honest wit' each other colonel. I don't tink' Peppy would be sendin' a bunch a spec-op units to be savin' a bunch a civies."

"Heh..." O'neal grinned back. "Nothing seems to escape you does it?" The wildcat motioned towards Jackal, allowing a much needed grin to creep up the side of his jaw line.

"Not a ting."

Their conversation was brought to an abrupt stop as the deployment alarm began to sound off. It was as if the entire ship was suddenly jerked to life as literately hundreds of troops and technicians began to scramble around in various different directions; going to their assigned areas with the utmost haste.

As the klaxon continued to blare throughout the ship, O'Neal lifted his paw up to the thin black wire running along the side of his throat, depressing the tiny button with his thumb and index finger.  
>"Boys, it's time. Make yourselves known to the good admiral."<p>

"Affirmative Boss. Materializing on your mark."

He smirked softly. "Mark."

Jackal took a step back as five blackened figures appeared out of thin air.  
>"What in da' name of me great grand-mama's ghost!" Jackal shouted as five armor clad special forces soldiers appeared before him, the light around them returning to normal.<br>"Admiral Jackal, meet my team." O'Neal began, sweeping his paw towards the armor clad troopers.

"Second Lieutenant Joseph Tinge, codenamed, Siren, our team's medical officer." The soldier he was motioning to unlatched a few clamps that held his helmet to his head, allowing the distinct hiss of artificial atmosphere to escape into the air. As his helmet came away from his head, the avian smirked heartily. His feathers were dulled yellow with small flashes of slight redish hues running along the very edges of the ones lining his eyes, much like the late Falco Lombardi. His beak was dyed a dull gray hue with tiny chips and cracks running along the sides. However, his body was toned with lean muscles, giving him an average appearance in comparison to the other soldiers that stood in the room.

"What' de' call ya' Siren for mon'?" Jackal asked, taking a hesitant step away from the soldier. He smirked slightly before narrowing his dark brown eyes at Jackal, trying to instill a slight fear into the hyena; surprisingly, it seems to have worked. "I'll save that explanation for later sir, if you don't mind. Wouldn't want to shatter any windows right now, if you get my drift." He chuckled, closing his beak shut with an audible 'snap', as if to add emphasis to his all too obvious fiery temper.

As Jackal was about to retort to the statement, O'Neal continued on with the introductions motioning with his paw towards the larger built soldier standing adjacent to Siren.  
>"Chief Warrant Officer Savage O'Reilly, codename, Juggernaut, our team's heavy weapons operator." Another hiss of venting atmosphere filled the air as his helmet came from his head. A large badger with twin scars running along the side of his head gave a flash of light pink to an overall sea of black and white fur. Across his chest was a large bandolier holding several rifle batteries, all of which glowed with a soft pulsing blue glow. Around his belt were still more of the glowing batteries, some larger than other however. Sitting on his shoulder was a VERY large machete easily the size of a small one-handed sword.<br>"CWO Juggernaut, at your service admiral." His deep baritone voice reverberated off the wall of the ship's causing Jackal to cringe slightly.  
>"Stow the chitchat 3." O'Neal barked causing Juggernaut to smirk slightly with a smug grin of contentment.<br>"Whatever you say boss."

Again, O'Neal motioned to the next soldier, who was slightly smaller than the rest of the group, and dressed in different attire. The helmet he wore was shaped slightly more streamlined than the others, and a single scope like appendage protruded out from the helmet itself directly over his right eye. A large hood was draped over his helmet like a monks robe. His vest wasn't as bulky as the others either; it was more slimmed down as if to reduce weight and reduce noise even if running at full speed, whatever it may be. Strapped across his shoulder was a pair of small dagger no longer than Jackal's paw, but the extreme curvature of the sheaths suggested that the blades were meant for quick and effortless slashing through even the toughest of hides. Overall, he was somewhat skinny and considerably less filled out than the others in the terms of muscle mass. However, he looked as if he could run several marathons without so much as breaking a sweat. Judging just from his overall appearance, he'd have to guess this one was probably a recon scout sniper, or some kind of reconnaissance operative.  
>"Command Sergeant Wesker MauskBurg, codename, Ghost, our team's scout sniper."<br>Jackal snorted slightly. 'Right on de' money.'

This time however, Jackal was surprise when the familiar hiss of venting atmosphere didn't appear. Instead, all he heard was the soft whirring of mechanical gyros. The helmet seemed to unlatch itself from Ghost's head, separating into increasingly smaller and smaller components until disappearing completely into the armor between his neck and shoulders. The hood however remained unmoved. As the helmet disappeared completely, an orange furred ferret with a muzzle of white stared back at Jackal, his eyes seemingly alive with amusement.

"So," The ferret mused while throwing a cocky grin at Jackal. "this is the admiral huh? Not much to look at is he?" He crossed his arms across his chest while holding his large grin. Jackal snorted slightly at the unprovoked insult, while the fur on his neck bristled in agitation. As Jackal began to crack his mouth open to offer a retort to Ghost's comment, O'Neal beat him to it by swiftly shouting at the ferret in a voice that sent a soft chill done the hyena's spine.

"Ghost, another word out of you like that and you'll be picking your teeth on the ground. Understand?"

The air was silent for a moment; the tension beginning to rise as Ghost remained unresponsive, smiling in O'Neal's general direction. The other two soldiers, who had yet to remove their helmets simply stood off to the side simply leaning against the wall while sharing a silent conversation.  
>Ghost shifted his stance, glancing first to O'Neal, then to Jackal, then back again.<p>

"Whatever you say boss. I was just havin' some fun." He snickered slightly while staring at the wildcat with unimpressed eyes glaring back at him. O'Neal again ran a claw over his throbbing temple, while sighing quietly to himself.  
>"Anyway, if you're quite done Ghost, can I continue?"<p>

A simple nod was the only response he got. Taking this moment of peace, his paw motioned towards fourth soldier of the lineup. Across his chest were multiple rows of different types of explosive ranging from the simple plasmatic grenade, to the highly volatile firebomb explosive. Strapped to his left thigh were several charges of high explosive plastic charges each with a single wire connecting to a small detonation cap. A single average size knife sat strapped across the soldier's chest curving slightly to accommodate his armor. His helmet didn't look like the others either. Instead of a single glass like visor as the others had, twin oval shaped eyelets surrounded by what looked to be flexible synthetic material. A large mouth apparatus sat slightly where the chin would be, and a small tube extended along his chest until it met with the large backpack like satchel that rested against his back. It looked as if it were an old gas mask that was brought up to date with modern materials.

"Meet Christian Sharp, codenamed, Ignitus, our teams demolitions expert. I'm afraid however, he will be unable to remove his mask, because it's the only thing keeping him alive right now.

The soldier turned towards Jackal, picking several grenades off his belt. In a very calm and casual manner, he began to juggle the lethal weapons as if they were a merely children's toys.  
>"Mphmh mhphem mhmr! Mmph mm meh me me!" He seemed to be shouting from inside his mask. Because of said mask, his dialogue was cryptic at best , unintelligible at worst, and it caused Jackal to raise a brow in surprise.<p>

"What'd he say mon'?"

"He said," O'Neal began. "he's ready to exterminate the bugs with fire, and lots of it."

"Why didn't he just say so?"

"Because his vocal chords are pretty much gone." O'Neal shrugged slightly.

"How...?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. However, I will say this, he didn't get the name Ignitus, until after his accident." Unconsciously, O'Neal snatched one of the grenades out of the air as Ignitus threw it to him, before slipping into the small sling on his shoulder. Ignitus began to grunt in quick short gasps, as it was his best attempt at laughing. From behind his back, he drew what looked like a small cylindrical pipe with a large rounded opening that was also connected to his backpack, waving it wildly around through the air in what appeared to be a somewhat sadistically excited joy. Jackal took a step back from the wild creature, knowing that with what he was holding the crazed lunatic could incinerate the entire room with no effort.

"Alright, take it easy Ignitus. No need to torch the whole ship. You can have all the fun you want when we hit planet side."

"Mhphem mhmr!" He seemed to respond, although what he had said could not be understood.

And finally, Jackal's attention turned to the final soldier standing against the wall, running a small sharpening stone against the blade of a sword. the faint sound of grinding metal echoed through the room causing his fur to rise in slight irritation with each stroke. 'Ya' got ta' be kidin' me.' He mused to himself while examining the soldier from tail to head. 'Who be usin' a sword these days?'

"And last but not least," O'Neal smiled warmly. "meet the infiltration specialist of our humble little family, Odessa, Codenamed, Scarlet Fang.

'Odessa?' Jackal thought, tasting the word on tip of his tongue with great enthusiasm. 'Why does that name sound so familia'?'

The one before him was covered in a dulled silver armor much like the others with a few stripes of vibrant crimson running down the side of the soldier's arms. An average sized helmet with distinct tribal like runes covered the soldier's head, and despite the visor of ballistics glass, he could feel a set of stone cold eyes boring directly into him.

The all too familiar sound of venting atmosphere echoed throughout the room as the soldier unlatched a few cords on the helmet. As the hissing stopped, the soldier began to lift the helmet up and away, causing Jackal's eyes to gro-

* * *

><p><strong><em>"Yeow!"<em>** Pain lanced up his leg as a small pair of jaws latched themselves around his calf with tiny, yet very sharp teeth. Both Crona and Adamas jumped in shock as the figure tumbled backwards into several large stacks of books causing them to collapse on top of him and whatever had attacked his leg. As the dust from the falling books began to settle, the figure gingerly rubbed the throbbing bump on his head where the floor had cushioned his fall. A series of soft squeaks and chirps brought the figure out his momentary disorientation. Several books close to his leg began to shift rapidly, and the squeaks began to grow more and more desperate as if the creature beneath the books was growing scared. As the figure extended his paw to lift one of the books, he lurched backwards as the leather bound parchment went flying into the air and a small triangular shaped head poked out from beneath the books, shaking the dust off its snout. The figure starred wide eyed at the little silver creature.

It was a hatchling dragon.

"Oh dear." Adamas sighed while summoning the books back into neatly stacked piles. "It seems Kril Al' Kriid has escaped his room." Crona groaned in irritation as she too summoned the books, assisting him with stacking them back into neat piles. As the piles of books began to retreat, the little dragon came into full view for the figure to see. Two sets of tiny and rounded, yet perfectly symmetrical ebony colored horn graced his head, each set curving opposite to the other. Between the two top horns was a small set of quills dyed a soft ebony hue with a distinct chrome contrast that accented the silver scales beautifully. The scales along his belly were a soft yellow with small dabs of green along the very edges where the silver met the yellow. The wings were small and stubby, but elegant in their own right. The ribs that made up the support structure of the wings themselves were the same vibrant silver as the rest of the scales, however, the membrane was vibrant and luscious forest green hue with small patches of yellow randomly splattered across it. As the little dragon's dimly browned eyes met the figure's, it began to chirp excitedly. It bounded forward, until it jumped into his lap rubbing his snout against the figure's elbow.

"Would someone care to explain to me why there's a dragon hatchling sitting in my lap?" The figure muttered aloud, gently stroking the hatchling's head with his paw, hoping the attention would keep him from biting his calf again. It purred aloud, pushing its spine against the figure's body much like a cat. As Kril stared into the figure's eyes his little tail began to wag excitedly back and forth and a slight smile began to etch itself across his maw. Again, he pushed his snout into the figure's palm, chirping slightly as his fingers gently scratched the silver scales along his head.

Crona sighed loudly, placing a single talon on her forehead trying to soothe her now throbbing temples. "I brought this little one here because he was orphaned just after he was laid. If I had left Kril Al' Kriid where he was, the likelihood of him hatching would have been nearly zero." She paused to sigh somewhat sadly, and to return several books to their previous positions on the upper shelves. "His parents were killed by a group of wolves shortly after he was laid, and in the confusion, the parents threw his egg into a nearby river in hopes of at least saving the child's life. If I hadn't stepped in when I had, the egg would have smashed against the rocks further downstream." The figure shrugged in acknowledgment as the little dragon started to yawn quietly. With a soft chirp, the little dragon curled into a ball on the figure's lap, falling asleep in mere seconds.

Adamas chuckled quietly at the sight. "Well, he seems to like you. I'd be honored if I were you my friend. Dragons are not very keen on making allies of other species, especially those from another dimension." Having finished his statement, the Adamas turned away from him, returning to the few strays books that littered the floor. The little hatchling shifted closer to his chest, purring gently as the figure continued to stroke his head with his paw.  
>He said nothing more as the book he was reading slowly drifted down towards him, as if coaxing him to continue his study.<p>

However, before he could continue a shadow draped over him as Crona came up from behind him. She laid a single talon across Kril's head gently scratching his 'sweet' spot. It caused a gentle purr to rise from his chest. Crona sighed sadly, causing the figure to bring his attention back to her.  
>"It's heart-wrenching to know that I've forced this fate upon him." The figure raised a brow in question at her. "Because of our agreement with the creator, Kril Al' Kriid will never have a normal life. We have already overstepped the original terms, and it's only by its generosity we've not been recalled to the core. To try and give this young hatchling a normal life would put all those who reside in his original dimension in peril."<p>

"What do you mean? Adamas told me that it allows both the keepers and the chroniclers to record and archive everything that happens so long as they don't interfere with the rest of the multi-verse."

"Indeed true. However if we deem it proper at the time we have the ability to intervene within any part of the multi-verse but we must abide by a strike set of rules. If we choose to save a mortal's life, first, it must be no older than two life cycles. If it it is any older than they mught become fearful of what they have seen and reject it for insanity. Secondly, the mortal being will never be allowed to return to their original dimension. This is because they've already seen too much of another dimension. And finally, if a keeper or chronicler is seen by another mortal other than those who did know them in life, they will be recalled to the core, and 'refitted'."

With nothing more to say at the time, Crona cast another single forlorn gaze to the little dragon. With a sorrowful sigh, she walked towards the messy stacks of books.  
>Looking over his shoulder one last time, the figure saw that both Crona and Adamas were still busy fixing the mess that the little dragon and him had caused. With a soft sigh, the figure returned his vision to the little dragon laying in his lap. Despite biting him with those tiny yet already sharp teeth, he had to admit, the little dragon was rather cute. Just as he was about to resume his reading, the little dragon shifted in his sleep, pushing his tiny snout against the figure's paw. When the figure began to stroke his head head again, he was stopped when Kril gently wrapped his forearms around the figure's paw, and pulled it under his chin allowing him to rest his head on it like a pillow. With his quiet purring easing the slight tension in the air the figure couldn't help but let a small grin tug at his lips.<p>

* * *

><p>*ahem* to grow wide in disbelief at the sight before him. As the helmet came away from the soldier's head laying to rest beside the sword, Jackal took a single step backwards, his mouth hanging agape.<p>

"It's been a long time Jackal."

Bright crimson scales met the Hyena's gaze, while a pair of sulfurous yellow eyes glared at him while a smug grin of satisfaction began to spread across her lips. The armor that covered her body seemed to begin melting down into a liquid that shimmered and squirmed all along her body as if it were alive; converging into a small orb in the palm of her now extended paw. The orb solidified into a small platinum-like alloy, allowing her to slip it into a pocket on her desert colored khaki shorts. Once the small orb was safely tucked away, she folded her arms across her chest and the tanned muscle shirt.

Before him, stood a five foot-four, female King Cobra whose bright crimson colored scales reflected the dimmed halogen lights above. The scales that made up her muzzle were a soft gray hue, continuing down the length of her throat, breasts, continuing all the way down to her bikini line. Her five inch hood was covered in strange golden rune-like markings, almost like the ancient writings in old ruins. These marking ran along the length of her spine, until reaching the tip of her tail. Said tail was swishing playfully between her legs, occasionally wrapping itself around her ankle from time to time. Her well toned body practically screamed speed and agility while her trimmed lithe muscles gave heavy hints of hard hitting stopping power if the situation called for it.

Jackal stood with his mouth agape at the sight before him. The snake-girl was a ghost of the past that had been long thought forgotten, and yet here she was, standing before him with a sound smirk of arrogance and intelligence. She was a sexy yet deadly rose, coiled and waiting to strike like lightning.

"Me great-grand-mama' be skinned alive! Odessa! Girl where ya' been all dis' time? I thought ya' be dead when da Cornerians attacked!" He stepped forward trying to embrace the cobra girl in a friendly hug. However, as he approached, she smirked wickedly. With the speed of lightning, her paw clenched into a fist, and struck Jackal across the chin, knocking him back a few feet. Jackal staggered back trying to remain standing, however it proved harder than expected because of the power behind Odessa's strike.

"No thanks to you Jackal." Her tone was filled with an underlying anger that sent soft shivers down the nape of his spine. She again crossed her arms around her perky C-cup sized breasts, smirking smugly as he picked himself off the floor.

"Damn girl." He muttered, rubbing his chin with a paw. "Dat' was a good hit dere'. Ya' pop trained ya' a bit too well don't cha' tink'? "

She chuckled slightly at his comment, shaking her head side to side with amusement.

"No, I don't think he did. After all I was kidnapped from my family when I was seventeen, or have you forgotten already? Then I was forced to watch as they were glassed remember?." As the hyena picked himself off the ground, Odessa was pleased to see a tiny trickle of fresh blood running down the side of his chin staining his deep amber and black spotted fur with small streaks of crimson. Soft pattering sounds echoed throughout the room as the few stray drops impacted the ground allowing them to stain the marble like metal flooring. Jackal could hear Siren snickering somewhat but paid him no mind. It was the female cobra who held his attention at the moment.

"Ya' know girl, I never did find out whut' happened to ya'. Ya just up n disappeared on me. Whut' happened to ya' if ya don't mind me askin'."

Again, the crimson scaled cobra grinned a toothy smile. Lowering herself to his eye level, Odessa stared at him long and hard.  
>"Well, admiral, you do remember when you had your cronies throw me in the brig right? After I killed one of them for trying to molest me? Well, when the Cornerian fleet attacked us I managed to kill the guard who was supposed to be watching my cell. It was quite easy to steal his keys then escape in a lifeboat, crash landing on Fortuna in the midst of the Aparoidian war. Needless to say Fortuna wasn't exactly the best of places for me, being a desert dweller and such; however I made due with the situation at hand. I stayed there for the remainder of the war until Richard and his team found me." She smiled sharply at the wildcat and the others, allowing her five inch fangs to gleam in the dimmed light.<p>

Jackal had now recovered enough to stand up on his own. With another swift movement of his paw, he wiped more of the blood along his lower lip away. "Well, if ya' hadn't killed dat' loony soldier, I never would have drown' ya' in that cell. I can unda' stand da' need for justice, but did ya' have to rip out his intestines and den' strangle him da' death with em'?"

She grinned evilly as she righted herself into a standing position.  
>"Be happy I only strangled him to death. Back home if a male were to try and force himself upon an unwilling woman, the village would string him up and let the woman do whatever she wanted to him. The torture would often last a few days before she outright butchered him."Jackal grimaced visibly at her words, unsure as to whether or not she was being serious. Seeing his confused expression, the King Cobra again snickered.<p>

"Alright," O'Neal cut into the conversation quickly. "I think the admiral gets the point 6. Now if you don't mind, maybe we can get on with the mission? I mean those civies aren't going to save themselves now are they?"

Odessa turned towards her commanding officer, a soft sigh of disappointment racing from her muzzle. She shrugged slightly before turning away from them both and picking her helmet from the ground. Almost immediately, a soft hissing sound radiated throughout the room as as the orb of metal in her pocket began to melt into a liquid state, It began to spread out of her pocket racing up the sides of her thigh as if it were a living being, expanding until it covered every inch of her body in a lightweight yet solidly built suit of latex-like titanium alloy. She replaced the helmet atop her head with a subtle click and the soft hissing of artificial atmosphere once again filled the air. Jackal diverted his gaze to the other seeing them repeating the process themselves, save for Ignitus and Ghost. As Odessa picked her large scimitar from the floor, there was a distinct humming sound that filed the room alongside the hissing of air. Jackal lurched back in surprise when the scimitar launched itself from her paw coming to rest on her back with a soft metallic snap.

'He sure is jumpy' A soft voice whispered within the cobra's subconscious.

'Yes, but that's the way he's always been, especially around me. He thinks I'll split his throat when his back's turned. Not a bad idea honestly, I just might have to do that'

'Yes he deserves it for keeping you as a slave, but we will need him for the coming trials. We both know what is to come in the future.'

'Even still, I don't understand why you won't let me tell anyone. I mean, they deserve to know.' She paused her phrase to look at O'Neal and the others. 'Especially them.'

'Be that somewhat true, even if we did tell them it would be for not. This path on which we all walk has been laid before us. We have no choice but to walk it as we can. No matter what we try and do here, the end will come inevitably.'

'I know I know Onami, but even still, it doesn't sit right with me knowing that the end is coming and there's nothing I can do about it. Actually, let me rephrase that, nothing anyone can do about it.'

'Nor with me. But, if the past is any indication we have many hard times to come Odessa.'

Odessa smirked inwardly at her comment. 'The story of my life.'

Another klaxon alarm broke her silent conversation bringing her back into reality. O'Neal, who had yet to put his helmet on, turned to Jackal with a smug grin creeping across his jaw line. "You know the song, time to dance." He said aloud to no one in particular. Then, as if controlled by a single mind each member of Shadow-Force placed their left paw over chest saluting O'Neal in the customary manner that had become routine amongst them. Another grin of distinct satisfaction. "Shadow-Force let's go." He said motioning toward the door with his paw. Not another word was spoken between them as the five armored soldiers followed O'Neal out the door towards the hanger bay. Jackal could only watch in wonder as they all marched out in a single-file line.

'What' de' be planin'? We ain't got anymore dropships aboard.' He mused in confusion as they left the briefing room.

"You all remember the plan?" O'Neal spoke into his headset, continuing on his way to the hanger with the others in toe. On the right most part of his heads up display five green lights appeared acknowledging his previous statement. Another slight grin appeared on his muzzle.  
>"Good. It's going to be a simple T.O.I.D (tactical orbital insertion drop). When we hit planet-side we're to link up with the remaining Venomian Honor Guard and escort the civies out. Once they're clear, we move onto the primary objective. Understood?" Again the green lights blinked in acknowledgment. "Good. Let's get to it then."<p>

* * *

><p>"Gah!" Loud crashing echoed throughout the room as both the blue furred vixen and the infested McCloud continued to exchange blow after blow upon each-other. Each time these two powerful females would throw the other against a wall, a large dent would always appear along the wall. Krystal grunted hard while gritting her fangs in pain as her body was again thrown into the wall causing a small trickle of blood sprout from her brow.<p>

"Now, you will serve me or you will die Cerinian." The queen mocked with an ever increasing insect like monotonous hiss. The vixen forced a defiant smile onto her jaw line while wiping the small line of blood away from her eyes.  
>"Then come and get me." She taunted. "I'm not going to submit to anyone ever again." With the speed no one had thought she possessed, Krystal launched herself from her sitting position on the ground towards the infected creature, throwing a hard hitting left hook into the creature's stomach. Despite being the Aparoidian queen, the bone shattering impact knocked the wind out of her chest, as well as the remaining contents of her stomach. Focusing her spiritual energy into the center point of her palm Krystal blasted the infected vixen into the wall behind her. The large rack of various instruments was crushed under the power of the blow.<p>

As the various contents of the impact settled all across the floor and some even settling on the Queen's now motionless form, Krystal allowed herself to slump down onto her knees trying to recapture her breath.  
>"Damn it." She muttered inhaling raggedly. "it's been too long since my last luwio sxa...chi wave." Far too long. She remembered the consequences for using such a powerful attack after such a long time of discontinued use. Why had she been so careless? She'd drilled into herself so many times before, but now? Foolishly, she'd forgotten her own most sacred rule. A slight tremor ran haphazardly along her spine causing her fur to bristle furiously. It was her only warning to the oncoming respite.<br>"Here it com-" She tried to mutter only to be seized by a violent convulsion. Her limbs locked up while she unceremoniously landed on her tail end, struggling in vain to get a grip over her spasming body. A gut wrenching pain then rippled throughout her chest as a violent heart attack seized it's deathly grip over her. Her breath caught in her throat, as the searing pain began to assault her thoughts.

She was paralyzed to the spot, unaware that the Queen was beginning to recover from the attack. Seeing the vixen convulsing on the floor with small trails of saliva running down the sides of her jaws, a demonic grin began to ripple across the half glass like chitin and half furred face.  
>"Such a weak creature you are Krystal. If only you would join me, you would never again know the limits of mere mortality." Through her violent writhing Krystal managed to get one defiant glare at the insect like creature before her head threw itself backwards as the largest convulsion yet took a hold of her. As it stalked towards Krystal, a pair of deadly looking spider like mandibles began to emerge from Jasmines lower jaw, splitting open the flesh with a sickening and audible 'snap'. Its insect grin grew even wider as bright blue venom began to race down the side of these four inch long fangs. "Join us in eternal glory." Her voice rang out again. The creature began to raise its left paw up into the air allowing the five long talons to slide to full size. Still convulsing, Krystal could only stare up at the long talons in regret. Unable to resist any more, the blue furred vixen accepted her fate, forcing her eyes shut as the Queen's talons began to descend down towards her. 'Damn you McCloud'<p>

There was a ear shattering collision of steel on steel.  
>"You dare to stand against me again? To protect her? You're a fool McCloud."<p>

"No more a fool than you are. You'll not return to this realm so long as I have breath still in me."

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to fix that. But tell me, can you bring yourself to harm your own daughter?"

"Your cheap intimidation tricks won't work. I know your weaknesses you shambling freak show." He paused for a moment to allow his words to soak into its thick shell. "Cut out the central parasite, and the rest of the virus dies." He grinned as he began drawing a second knife from his belt-loop. "My daughter won't be harmed so long as I don't miss your precious heart."

Its purple crusted eyes widened in shock. Its bluff had failed.  
>"Damn you." It screeched with its fang like mandibles clicking together. With lighting movements it shoved forward with its razor sharp talons causing Fox to stagger backwards under the force. The chestnut colored furred vulpine began to lose his footing. Even through her rapid trembling, Krystal could see the danger in this already.<br>'You fool'

As McCloud fell backwards the queen's talons slipped passed his nine inch blade. In an agonizing slow motion the talons crept close and closer to his throat. Staring in stupefied shock, Fox was unable to react within the few milliseconds he had. Both his and Krystal's eyes went wide in shock in realization as what was about to happen. As the talons tore open the flesh under his chin Krystal couldn't help but whimper slightly despite her constant convulsing.

"Checkmate Fox." it hissed as the blood from his lacerated jugular flew across the room in agonizing slow motion. His blade dropped from his hand, hitting the floor with a loud clatter thump and both his paws raced towards his throat which at the moment began to launch the crimson liquid all across the floor and down the sides both his paws and down the center of his vest. He gagged and hacked trying to draw breath into his lungs, only to suck in more of his own blood slowly drowning himself. He collapsed on his back lashing frantically about with an iron vise grip on his ravaged throat. As the queen laughed in victory, the door leading out to the hallway slowly began to slide open quietly, unnoticed by either party.

From her position on the floor, Krystal stared helplessly at Fox's struggles. With his dying moments occurring before her very eyes she was absolutely defenseless. The queen would simply tear her apart in mere seconds without someone to help her.

"Fuh coj udsaodj to feileahj, zo leij tomudto, co komfj ok c'ojfuso, to mo fhêkoh lekho uato." A soft voice echoed through the room causing the Queen to freeze in surprise. A slight bluish tinge began to spread throughout the room as if it were merely a mist on a spring morning's dawn. The Queen began to slow in speed as the blue tinge overtook it until it was moving even slower then thickened honey.

As she watched dumbfounded, yet still convulsing in agony, a paw gripped her shoulder, forcing her body to steady slightly.

"Héwcoq lekho sœih gia ruk, jeikodio lej fodjéoj. Je0oq carho to cu teicoih Krystal, fhadsojjo to dekho muajed." A soft voice whispered in her head. As those soothing words echoed in her mind the pain of the heart attack began to dim. The powerful convulsions that wracked through her body died down to minute shivers. When she managed the strength to turn to her rescuer, pure white fur, and a worn white rag like blindfold met her gaze.

"Wh-?"

"Do fuj fuhcoh muadkodudk. Zo luaj leij opfcagioh tudj co komfj. Feih c'adjkudk, hojko."

Her eyes squinted in surprise at those words. They seemed so familiar, but yet, foreign at the same time. They tickled a certain spot at the back of her thoughts as if something was begging to be remembered. Something from a long time ago. But then, and quickly as it had appeared to her it was gone again, and despite the wolf's strange dialect, she was sure he would not harm her, so she complied to his unknown request, and laid her head back down to the floor breathing easier than before. Not that she really had a choice in the matter anyway. As the white wolf's paw came away from her shoulder, he briskly walked over to where Fox lay, slowly thrashing around with his paws still clamped onto his spurting jugular. She watched as the streams of blood crept through the air centimeters at a time, like snails across a sidewalk. As the wolf laid his paw atop Fox's brow, his exaggerated thrashing began to slow even further until he lay still on the floor the deep wound still gaping openly. However despite the still horrendously mangled flesh, the blood that once flowed vigorously now dimmed to nothing more than a slight trickle.

"Krystal, ju lao jo rcegio tudj lej fukkoj muadkodudk. Med jehk johu cia omfêsxoh to meihah zijgi'à so gio leij feiloq utmadajkhoh toj jeadj métasuip uffhefhaéj." Again those strange words. She blinked in confusion as his speech, but nodded her head in response to his unknown request. If her hunch was correct, the strange lupine was more than likely referring to Fox.  
>An understanding of sorts between them the white blind wolf stood up from the ground directing his attention to the queen frozen in mid-stride towards him. A soft sigh escaped his muzzle.<p>

"A, Falanks, vacj to Samaëc udt Hathor, leij ehteddo laco shéukiho, giakkoh sokko âmo addesodko ei jirah coj veithoj toj udsaodj to Cerinia." Carefully as an ancient stone sentinel the ghostly white creature extended his paw towards the infested vixen hybrid laying the flat of his palm on her forehead. A slow twitch of surprise rippled across the queen's entire body, albeit in creeping slow motion.  
>The seconds ticked by like falling grains of sand, and despite the tension in the air, all was silent. She watched as the white wolf stood there with his paw against Jasmine's brow.<br>Then, a soft hissing sound began to echo through the room. It started as nothing more than a mere whisper of wind, but it quickly began to grow in intensity.

"NOooooooo!" Krystal covered her ears as a skull splitting scream echoed throughout the operating room shattering the glass instruments as well as the windows that lined the wall. The white wolf was thrown across the room as the queen broke free from the time distortion energy from her anger beginning to materialize in the air. As the blue tinge that surrounded the room began to retreat back into the wolf the door that lead to the hallway was blown inward as two figures stormed into the room. One rushed to the white wolf's side as the other stood in front of the door wielding some sort of what looked to be a sword and shield with a snarling wolf forged on the shields surface. He held the sword in the queen's general direction guarding the entrance as well as his allies from her. "Yats erehw uoy era nomed." He snarled baring his teeth in defiance at it.

However, the queen merely laughed in glee, turning its attention back to Krystal with sinister purple eyes. Her heart stopped in cold terror as it began to creep towards her, talons clicking together slightly.  
>"Time to join us my dear little Cerinian. Don't fight it, don't make the pain any worse for yourself."<p>

She clenched her eyes shut as it continued to stalk towards her unable to defend herself in her weakened condition.  
>However, the queen paused in confusion as something tapped a talon on its shoulder. As it turned towards the unknown creature a wide toothy grin met her gaze.<br>"Just shut the fuck up already bitch." Everything happened so quickly she wasn't entirely sure what had occurred. One second the queen was staring face to face with the unknown wolf, the next second she was slumped on the ground with a large fist imprinted in its cracked exoskeleton. Slight hints of blood tinted blue and purple began to seep through the open lacerations. With a soft moan of confusion, Jasmine, the real Jasmine broke back into her own thoughts viewing the one who had savagely attacked her in the chest. A slight grin graced her muzzle.  
>'thank you' She mouthed to the best of her ability. With her strength now gone, she allowed her head to slump down to the porcelain tile.<br>"And stay down, your majesty. "

* * *

><p>Acknowledgments, and copyrights.<p>

To those wondering what Falanks was saying, put those words into the Saurian translator, then copy and paste said results into a french to english translator. Please note however, some of the words might be a bit scrabbled because of the reverse translation.

StarFox-(c) Nintendo

Falanks, C.O.S.-(c) SpykeTheWolf

Saurian Translator-(c)

Richard O'Neal, Odessa ScarletFang, Christian Sharp-(Ignitus), Jackal TriKill, Nazareth Oikonny, Jasmine McCloud, Joseph Tinge-(Siren), Savage O'Reilly-(Juggernaught), Wesker MauskBurg-(Ghost), Adamas, Kril Al' Kriid, and the Figure (c) Landmaster776/ Grey/ The Shadow in Exile (aka me)

Crona(c)Maria-Pipkin

Many thanks to my betareader and general adviser SpykeTheWolf. Without his help this chapter would not be where it is today.

Peace- The Exile in Shadow


	4. Strays, Snakes, and Bugs

**(AN- Firstly, I'd like to apologize for how long this chapter has taken. Between school, looking for a job, and trying to helping the family the story is receiving less and less love. Mostly my fault yes, but hey life is a pain in the ass all the same. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter. Be it a long and frustrating one, I still enjoyed writing it.)**

* * *

><p><strong>Lylatian Chronicles Chapter 4<strong>

**Strays, Snakes, and Bugs.**

_"It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it"** - Douglas MacArthur**_

Initializing...

{...}

{Remnants Special Forces database accessed}

{Special operations unit designation Tier 1 operator 4 selected}

{ShadowForce}

{...}

{...}

{...}

{...}

{Shadow-Force Operator #6}

{Odessa ScarletFang personnel log #221 accessed}

{Retrieving message}

{...}

{...}

{...}

{Playing pre-recorded message}

They say nothing is within our own control. That everything around us is just a rapidly spinning ball of probabilities and chance. Everything that happens is always by chance or by fate. My father once told me that we control our own destiny and our course of life. Others fates may not be in our control, but like a pot of clay we shape our own reality and lives. My destiny is my own to paint as I see fit. No one, nothing will ever change how I wish to live my life. I choose my own destiny, and my own fate. I am a slave to no one.

I am Titanian, and I am free.

{Last message recorded, June 12th 2269}

{Playing}

Things are grim. Maker, I blame myself for this. Four months it's been since I last saw my teammates. I have no idea whether they're alive or dead right now. But...m-my legs are broken, and my hip is shattered. I've got three bullets lodged in my calf, and a nasty concussion. It's getting harder and harder just to stay awake now, I keep thinking I see Remnant Marines breaking down the door and extracting me. But my mind is playing tricks on me. Maybe...maybe it's time to let it go. My father told me never to give up, but all I want to do is sleep. I'm so fucking tired. So...tired. Must sleep. Kain...cremate...me..."

{Message ended}

{...}

{Critical errors detected. System compromised. Self destruct activated}

**{}{TRANSMISSION TERMINATED}{}**

It was silent. So silent one could hear a needle drop from down the hall. Aside from the occasion turning of pages and rustling of books in the far corner of the room it was utterly and absolutely quiet.

The figure, still occupied with reading the book of not only his own life, but that of his allies and friends had not noticed as both anciently old and wise Chroniclers had gathered dozens of small tomes, scribes and the odd slab of parchment looking for any clue as to the origin of Crescent-Eye, the Cerinian guardian. On occasion one of them would shout in pain as one of the many stacks of tomes and books would fall onto them causing the other to laugh hysterically. The hatchling that remained motionless in his lap was snoring quietly as the figure gently scratched the small shield shaped silver scales along the base of his jaw line. He was careful not to wake the little dragon. Past experience had taught him not to wake something with more teeth than he did, or sharper for that matter. However as another stack of books collapsed onto Crona she shouted again making the figure cringe. By the sound of it, a VERY large pile had fallen on her. Kril squeaked in irritation at the loud noise echoing throughout the library trying to remain asleep on the figure's lap, where he was rather comfortable. However as Crona shifted out from the stack of fallen books her tail knocked another stack over directly onto Adamas. He grunted as the stack fell onto him, causing Crona to burst out laughing. The loud echoing laughter was the final straw. Kril irritably began to stir opening his dimmed chocolate colored eyes staring up at the figure. Both stared at the other unsure of what to expect. Kril tilted his head to the side like some sort of pet looking either unsure or confused.

"Mur?" he squeaked while looking up at the figure. Although unsure as to his intentions, the figure looked upon the small silver dragon with an ever rising interest.

Although nothing more than a few days old the little dragon was showing incredible intelligence already. 'Perhaps a perk of the species?' He wondered to himself, returning his fingers to Kril's little head. The hatchling purred contently as he started again curling into a small ball on his lap while turning his attention to the book that stood open, still floating in midair. 'Can he read as well? Or is it he enjoys hearing me read to him?' The figure thought to himself still watching Kril with wary eyes and scratching his scales. He could not decide which of his two theories could possibly make more sense. Both seemed rather asinine and farfetched. But...something about how the hatchling looked at him, with his dim, but reflective eyes. He shrugged once before returning his attention to the book before him, watching as another page of print began to appear before him, the text scribbling itself onto the page as his eyes followed it down to the bottom of the tome.

However, before he could return to his reading Kril began to shift uncomfortably in his lap beginning to whimper as if in pain. Alarmed, the figure picked Kril into his arms holding him as if he were merely an infant. But this was an unfortunate mistake. Kril growled quite fiercely in response to the figure's actions. Startled he quickly set the hatchling down on the floor and put several feet between himself and Kril. Crona and Adamas by now had heard the painful squeaks and chirps. Together they came up behind the figure hoping to figure out what was happening. Much to their surprise they saw the hatchling writhing around on the floor.

"Is he alright?" The figure asked worriedly watching as Kril began to wobble unsteadily on his little legs mewing in pain.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen any hatchling go through this." She admitted in a soft voice, hanging her head slightly.

The hatchling continued to mew and squeak in pain clutching tightly at his chest with his tiny paws. He fell onto his flank beginning to hack and cough as if something was lodged in his throat. Worried he might be choking on only the maker knows what, the figure let go of his previous fear and picked Kril up from the floor. Despite a slight warning growl Kril did not try to stop him. The figure quickly began to pat the little dragon on the back, trying to dislodge whatever was in his throat. No one could've expected what was about to happen next.

Kril's eyes shot open as he released something equivalent to a loud burp. However, a large glowing ball of liquid white plasma shot out of his mouth following in the wake of the built up gas, directed solely at Crona and Adamas.

Yelping in surprise, the white Chronicler dragoness managed to duck away from the blast with mere centimeters to spare; her scales tingled as the heat boiled the sensitive flesh beneath while Adamas rolled to the other side covering his balding head with his hands. The bolt impacted the granite like wall on the opposite side of the room leaving behind a large black splotch on the white stones, melting several bricks into slightly glowing liquid rock.

The figure sat there stunned and stupefied at what had just happened. Kril mewed quietly in his arms, exhausted at having to force the ball of freshly formed plasma from his body. While he looked tired, the figure noticed that there were no visible scorch marks on his jaws nor anywhere else on his body. Kril looked up at him with weary tired eyes, and nuzzled into the figure's chest chirping quietly before returning himself to sleep; safe and comforted in the figure's arms.

"By the ancestors..." Crona gasped while holding her chest with a paw. "...not even Spyro could use his abilities at such a young age..."With deliberately slow movements, she approached the sleeping hatchling and the figure, unsure of what to think."...and he was the purple dragon of prophecy." She carefully

"Um..."The figure began in a hushed tone of voice, not wanting to awaken Kril again."Would someone explain what just happened?"

Crona looked first to Adamas, then back to the figure again a worried expression of unknowing etched like stone.

"I'm...I'm not entirely sure. Kril seems to be a plasma dragon, although I thought they had been wiped out long ago when Malefor came into power."

"Plasma? You're telling me he can breathe plasma like I breathe in air?"

"Well, yes and no. You see, dragons of my realm are born with one element which they can use at a moment's notice simply by 'breathing' it like an exhaled breath. We're not entirely sure where this magical energy comes from. However from what I've gathered in my travels about the plasma clan, they will devour solid chunks of rocks which they then heat within their stomachs until it turns into something that resembles lava, although still in a solid state. They then fuse magical energies into the rocks turning them into superheated plasmatic goo. Much like your race experiences the occasional indigestion; periodically freshly formed plasma would back up in their esophagus and force them to hack it up albeit a very painful process. "

As Crona finished her lengthy explanation the figure shook his head somewhat dumbfounded. It had taken the Cornerians nearly four hundred years after the discovery of nuclear energy to create a stable plasma energy source, and yet according to her dragons have had this ability for generations.

Adamas shrugged when he noticed the look on his face.

"I think it humorous when I found out just how long the dragons had possessed it when compared to your realm. Your people consider themselves to be superior in every way shape and form and yet the dragons who don't even possess technology had mastered it before you had discovered steam power." Adamas began to trail off as he retreated back towards the many large stacks of books. Taking one last worrying glance at Kril, Crona followed behind him being sure to step as quietly as possible to ensure Kril remained asleep.

**{Time-11:32 AM December 21st 2259}**

**{Location- Katina Outpost}**

Situation- Aparoid forces are quickly approaching the base. Unknown renegade forces, possibly mercenaries are currently assisting with the defense of the base.

The sands of Katina were not like back home. It was coarser, and rougher; it could barely even be considered sand. More like broken pieces of glass. Titania's numerous sands dunes were comparable to that of flowing silk, fluidly shifting through ones fingers like water when held. This however, was as unpleasant as unpleasant got. Sure, they could survive in just about any environment imaginable. From the frozen wastes on Fichina with nothing but the fur on their backs, to the steaming jungles of Fortuna and Sauria they could survive just about anywhere. But, that didn't mean they had to like it. Least of all Spyke. The black furred lupine stood atop the large steel and titanium reinforced wall looking out into the distance. Out past the large fungus like trees that towered over the flat landscape like skyscrapers, out past the raging sandstorms and dust-devils that whipped and screamed like howling banshees, he watched as a dark shadow began to descend across the land.

With subtle movements his tail began to wag back and forth in anticipation for the battle that was coming.

Down below in the main courtyard of the base was a scene of absolute madness. Cornerian soldiers were scrabbling back and forth trying to prepare themselves for the Aparoid onslaught, but with the mass confusion it was hard to tell if anything was really getting done. Opposite to the ensuing chaos that were the Cornerian soldiers, sat a large group of troopers that consisted mainly of wolves wrapped in outdated armor consisting of what looked to be scraps of chain-mail randomly distributed across their bodies with leather straps covering their hands and arms, all of which surrounded by a khaki color tunic. Across their faces were simple iron masks that looked nothing more than simple bent pieces of metal molded to cover the very front of the users face with two small holes cut out for the eyes. In their paws and laid out across their laps were multiple variations of swords, pikes, spears, bows and shields. Some were even equipped with a strange looking rifle that had a curved black steel magazine and wooden furniture stock and forward hand-guard with the occasional strip of black duct-tape wrapped around it.

The lupine's thought were startled as one of the strange armor clad warriors briskly walked up to him. Standing at attention for a moment, the wolf pounded his right fist on his chest before settling back into an at ease position. The black wolf repeated the process before folding both his arms across his chest.

"Report." He spoke quickly wanting to get straight to the point.

"Spyke, everyone's ready. Arson, and Ripper are standing by along the western walls and Kane is doing so on the southern wall. The archers are holding position with them. The siege weapons are in place and ready to fire at a moment's notice. The assault artillery is being deployed along at the top of the central command center."

"And the minefield?"

"All the charges are primed and ready."

"Hmm. What about the wildfire? Is it sprayed across the choke points?"

"Affirmative. We've sprayed approximately two hundred metric tons of it across the area. Designated archers are ready and waiting. All is ready Spyke.

The lupine mused while returning his gaze out towards the open field. His claw began to gently scratch his chin where a few graying hairs were beginning to sprout. "Then I guess there's nothing else to do but wait. They'll come sooner or later."

"And then?"

"And then the fun truly begins."

A slight sinister grin crept up the subordinate's jaw line. Again he pounded his paw against his chest before jumping off the wall returning to the others below.

Spyke ran his paws through his darkened fur sighing heavily as the winds coming off the open plains swept across him. Across the base, he beheld the massive 6 ton battle tank known as the Landmaster, rolling onto an elevated ramp allowing it to fire over the wall. It's heavy ten inch plating of frontal armoring, and large 220mm smooth bore cannon which fired plasma wrapped tungsten rods, made it an almost unparalleled rival on the modern field of combat. Rolling from the garage under the command center, an even larger weapon of war shook the ground. With its heavy 315mm cannon it was an artillery piece that broke through the solid defenses of Andrew's hidden base on MacBeth and ultimately sealed the false dictator's end. Feared by almost every army within Lylat, it was only deployed in the most extreme of circumstances. He watched as it took up position behind the wall alongside much smaller more conventional field-guns using more conventional fuel cells roughly half the size of the troopers manning them. As the two stabilizing clamps secured the tank to the ground, and its trident shaped barrel rose into the air at a sharp ninety degree angle three field operatives surrounded the tank while the rear hatch opened and the main breach of the gun extended outwards. The three man team rolled a large octagon shaped device twice their size near the tank and stood back as the breach opened and pulled the cell inside itself. Once it was safely secured a loud chime of acknowledgment reverberated through the dusty air.

However, Spyke scoffed as he watched the hulks of metal rolling onto the wall and the massive field guns taking up position near the command center. Such a waste of materials could be put so much more use.

"And they call themselves the superior fighting force." He laughed aloud to himself, still watching as they moved more and more gear into position onto the wall and the surrounding buildings.

"Pathetic. Simply pathetic." He mocked crossing his arms across his chest again. "How I despise these spineless cowards. What was Nazareth thinking having me try and keep the fort in one piece? Pfft. Worthless monkey."

A scream in the distance brought his attention from his little thoughts back to the outer laying plains broken only by a low lying ring of mountains. A smug grin of darkened pleasure wormed its way across his scarred and war ravaged face.

"It's show time." He muttered jumping down from the walled ramparts to join his troops.

* * *

><p><em>It was late December on a mountaintop covered in pristine and glistening snow. The light fluffy ice shards were falling heavily, blanketing all in a white cloak of frozen peace concealing a deep rooted fury. The fire within the cottage snapped and cracked while casting a dim orange glow across everything in sight including one firecracker of a woman as she delicately rubbed her slightly distended gray colored belly scales before the fireplace. The orange glow of the hearth shed a soft light on her body giving an even more deepening sense of bliss to the female. From out of their room came her husband and mate, wearily wiping away the drowsiness from his slit cobalt blue eyes.<em>

_'Babe, you coming to bed soon? It's almost 2 in the morning.'_

_'I'm just thinking how lucky I am. All I ever dreamed about my entire life was this. And now? I never want to let it go.'_

_'And why should you?'_

_As he came up behind her, his paw began to trace the edges of her shapely buttocks with the mere tips of his claws, slowly following the outline of her spine up her back which warranted her to release the latch on the back of her bra. It and the matching pair of panties fell to the floor as the male hissed into her ear._

_'Seeing my parents burnt alive, I...I never want our children to experience that. I never want them to go through what we did.'_

_'Listen to me, no matter what we went through in the past, its only made us stronger today. You're my wife and my love, nothing will ever change that.'_

_'I'm sorry...I...I don't know where that came from.'_

_The male laughed as his paws cupped the females grayish colored breasts massaging them as if he were kneading a delicate dough. Firm, yet gentle. She moaned pleasantly at his motions allowing her tongue to roll out of her jaws while a sweet innocent smile began to appear. He laughed again and moved his paws down to her stomach feeling as the flesh was beginning to expand ever so slightly._

_'A mother to be is prone to fits of unusual personalities and habits. Not even you are immune to it.' He nipped playfully at her neck with his fangs a deep yet soft purr rising from his chest._

_It was her turn to laugh._

_'Don't forget, you're the one who did this to me. Don't think you're off the hook just yet.'_

_He applied a slight pressure to her stomach with one paw while moving his other to her jaw forcing her head towards his waiting lips._

_'I'll meet it head on with you. Until my dying breath, you're mine.'_

_She pressed her lips against his purring slightly to herself and to her mate. She quickly wrapped her strong tail around his, and held his paw down against her stomach with one of her own while the other caressed his cheek as they dueled each other for oral control. Her eyes shut in bliss, happy to just enjoy the moment._

_'Odessa!'_

_A distant voice called to her. Time froze. The male before her and the little cottage she stood in began to dissolve away into dust as the illusion began to dissipate. The dream was ending. As she stared into the expanding plain of endless darkness, a great sense of emptiness began to spread from the pit of her stomach. A great longing for it to have been real if but for a moment._

_'Odessa.'_

"Odessa!"

* * *

><p>Her vision blurred into focus. Her H.U.D was just beginning its start-up process as her eyes opened. With a single backhanded slap, O'Neal hit the helmet atop Odessa's head with the back of his steel encased paw making her ears ring violently.<p>

"6 Wake up. We are mobile in 1 mike!"

She groaned as her head fell backwards into the mud and she fell flat on her back. The small carbine slipped free from her paw skittering across the ground into a small puddle of blackened mud.

"Damn it." She groaned while struggling to pick herself from the ground.

"3, pick her up. We need to get moving now."

"Da." Juggernaut replied as he lowered his paw towards Odessa. With one swift movement she took a hold of his paw, and he pulled her up from the ground, allowing the slick mud to slide right off her armor.

Moaning slightly from the head ringing strike, Odessa looked towards her commanding officer rubbing her head through the helmet.

"Get your shit together 6. I'm not gonna say it again." He said picking her rifle back up and handing it back to her.

"Sorry boss. The H.U.D has been acting up lately."

"Have Siren take a look at it later. For now fall in."

"Yes sir cap."

{**Time- 1:30 December 21st 2259**}

Situation- MacBeth spaceport has been successfully evacuated. Remaining Venomian Honor guard and civilians have successfully retreated into planetary orbit. With secondary objective completed Shadow-Force has begun to move onto primary objective. Aparoid forces have begun to take over the few remaining military bases while simultaneously establishing forward operating bases.

{Estimated time to complete planetary infestation - 2 hours, 39 minutes, 52 seconds}

The sound of quietly squishing mud fell in tune to the steady beating of the wildcat's heart. Gripping his carbine tightly in his gloved paws O'Neal's eyes were sweeping back and forth across the scorched ruined landscape that was MacBeth. Large plumes of rancid black smoke hung near motionlessly in the sky while the distant screams of newly formed Aparoids began reverberating through the air.

"Squad, keep it tight. We don't to attract any unwanted attention." O'Neal hissed into his headset while turning the corner of a bombed out trench. The motion tracker in the top left hand corner of his H.U.D pulsed rapidly searching for any sign of Aparoid movement or movement of any general type.

"This is Sierra Foxtrot, come in command." Siren spoke quietly into his headset while following the female king cobra in front of him. For a moment nothing came through the headset except small amounts of static and the occasional garbled transmission from scattered pockets of resistance across the many planets this side of Lylat.

"Command, go ahead Sierra."

"Finally." He muttered to himself rather annoyed at the length of time between his outgoing comment and definitive reply.

"We got boots on the ground, proceeding to main objective, how copy?"

"Solid copy Sierra, you're currently 4 clicks from the objective. Proceed as planned."

"Understood. Any word for extraction?"

"Unavailable at this time. The planet is too hot for any support. Complete primary objective then sit tight. We'll be dropping a squad of Honor Guard when P.O. is complete and L.Z is cleared. How copy?"

"Damn it. Understood command. Sierra Foxtrot out." He snapped his beak once in agitation. "Boss, no go on the evac."

"Damn. Leave it to command to fuck us over once we're waist deep in the slaughterhouse. It's Venom all over again. Squad, keep an eye on those motion trackers, kill anything that isn't one of ours. 2 and 3 take point. Ghost, are you in position on overwatch? "

"A big 10-4 on that boss man. Overwatch established and holding position. And, I gotta say, I'm enjoying the view from here."

Odessa's scales stood on end as she heard his phrase and a soft shudder vibrated down her spine.

"Damn it Ghost, if you're looking at my ass again, I'm gonna kill you."

A stifled laugh echoed through the headset which served to infuriate the female king cobra even further. "Ah, is the little snaky getting upset? I swear there's nothing more invigorating than when your rage is left unchained. Nothing more sexy, more...invigorating my dear little Odessa!"

She hissed violently into the headset in agitation while the very tips of her fangs slipped over the edge of her lips. The more she became enraged the harder her tail slapped the ground. Siren cringed visibly while Ignitus stood there unsure what to make of the situation.

"Mphmh mhphem?" He questioned while cocking his head to the side in confusion. Juggernaut simply shrugged at him unable to both understand his question, or answer it as well.

"Damn you womanizing pig! When I get my paws on you I'm going to castrate you!" She shouted heatedly at the ferret uncaring of what the others in the team thought. Ghost simply laughed aloud to himself.

"You're so cute when you upset my lovely little rose."

Her gray colored cheek scales flushed red as his remark finally snapped the fully taut cord of her emotions. Her anger was beginning to boil over, evident by the quiet rattling of her scales and the rapid thrashing of her tail.

"Rose!? How dare you Wesker!" It was always that little pet name. Whenever he would call her a rose, her anger would reach it's breaking point. Odessa never saw herself as beautiful. She was Titanian, born of sand and heat. Not a rose of weakness and frailty. A rose may be beautiful, but she was not. No matter what others told her.

Ghost didn't hide the fact he was in love with her. A womanizing pig he may be, but sometimes even one such as he knows the value of a good woman's feelings. Unfortunately, he never came off as the most understanding of men. He was as simply put, a womanizing pig who'd bed more woman than most men have hair on their heads. Ghost had been trying to win her over for nearly five years, but always failed miserably. She was quick tempered and dangerous when angered. The fact she possessed venom capable of killing a full grown earthwalker and a tail capable of breaking a two-by-four in half with a single move was more than an offset to one such as Ghost. Even still, it didn't stop him from trying from afar such as now.

Juggernaut, the large tank of a man draped in armor so thick that even plasma bounced off harmlessly placed a massive paw on Odessa's shoulder trying to calm the raging serpent. However he lurched away from her as quickly as possible as she swung her tail at him trying to knock the soldier off his feet. She was a fearsome opponent to even one as larger as he was.

He took a step away from her as she hissed menacingly through her helmet. O'Neal and the others stopped dead in their tracks turning towards the snake woman who nearly tore the head off their support gunner.

"Don't touch me! Don't fucking touch me Savage!"

"6 calm the fuck down now damn it. We don't have time for your pissing contest with 5." O'Neal shouted putting his carbine to rest on his shoulder and walking towards the enraged cobra.

She turned on the wildcat hastily ripping her helmet off her head and throwing it to the ground eyes flaring into feral slits. Her carbine followed quickly after it.

"Don't you tell me to calm down O'Neal! I've had it with him!" She screamed

"You're acting like a spoiled child Odessa." He said flatly, removing his helmet with one paw while unbuckling his sheathed knife with the other.

"What are you gonna do if I don't boss man? Huh? You gonna stick me with that knife?" She taunted him eyes wide still alight with an unquenchable fire.

"No, no I'm not like that and you know it. However, you're only a few seconds away from having a tooth knocked loose." He cracked a finger with his thumb just for emphasis. " And you know for a fact that I don't make idle threats."

"Then how about this O'Neal, how about I knock one of your teeth out, and I'll let my little battle with Ghost go. Deal?"

O'Neal sighed quietly to himself, something she might have picked up on if she wasn't in such a sour mood.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be Odessa. Remember what happened last time? The scar I gave you? Get your fucking shit together before I hurt you again."

She sneered harshly allowing her fangs to again slip over her lower lips. Her intimidation acts however had no effect on him. He'd learned all her tricks and tactics in the past, and nothing she could throw at him now would work. "One..." He began staring into her eyes undaunted and not even phased. "...two..." He tightened his grip into a solid fist. She ground her fangs tightly together clenching her fists around the hilt of the sword that lay unused on her back.

"...thr-" He stopped. Odessa turned her head away, beginning to back real slowly from him tail thrashing even faster and more aggressively than before.

Despite her snarling muzzle and thrashing tail O'Neal smirked somewhat.

"Pick up your helmet and fall in. We'll talk about this later 6." At first she did nothing as the wildcat slipped his helmet back over his head. It was as he turned away from her did she reluctantly retrieve her helmet and carbine from the mud. As she slipped it back over her head and the H.U.D returned so did the bothersome laughter of the ferret sniper 2 miles away on a raised platform overlooking his team-mates. She hissed angrily at the mere sound of his voice, but threw her carbine over her shoulder, returning to her normal spot just behind Siren with Juggernaut bringing up the rear with Ignitus.

"Open your mouth again 5, and I'll personally shove a Bafomdad down your throat. Understood?" O'Neal growled trying to diffuse the tension before something far worse than just frayed nerves and petty squabbling occurred.

"With all that talk of yours Ghost, I can tell you're trying to compensate for something. Now stow it and cover us before I feed you to the Aparoids myself." Much to everyone's surprise it had been O'Neal who had made the remark. The laughter that had spammed the airways moments ago now fell silent.

"Aw, come on cap, I'm just trying to have a little fun here. Don't be such a killjoy." He whined to O'Neal struggling to conceal a slight laugh.

"Shut your mouth and resume overwatch. Don't open your mouth again unless it's to say there's an Aparoid coming at us." He barked fiercely through the headset causing the rest of the team stare at him wide eyed. Ghost sighed quite audibly before looking back down the scope of his large caliber sniper rifle. However, distinct tint of purple armor came into view causing his heart-rate to spike within the time-span of a few milliseconds. With a single smooth action, he flipped the bolt to his rifle up pulling back with a flick of his wrist allowing the spent cartridge to fly out and away. With a single fluid motion he slipped another round into the receiver before forcing the bolt shut yet again and allowing his targeting reticule to recenter in the scope. Something moved across the far left of the scope causing Ghost to freeze momentarily. When he re-centered the scope on the unknown movement a flash of purple crystalline armor came into view. He sighed quietly to himself.

"Ah hell boss. You just had to ask for it didn't you? You've got four dragoons and about three dozen blazers coming right at you from your 2:00 o'clock boss. Enemy air cav from 3:00 o'clock high!"

The ground shook violently as three large dark-matter charges rained down onto Shadow-Force. With an ear splitting screech the blazers within the attack group rushed forward at both O'Neal and Odessa with claws outstretched and fangs quivering in hunger. Juggernaut didn't need any other motive to begin unloading his heavy plasmatic minigun into the oncoming hordes, shredding dozens of the incoming bugs within a matter of seconds. Ignitus began to lob high-explosive 40 millimeter grenade rounds downrange while Odessa took up position next O'Neal with her carbine. Siren loaded solid tungsten slugs into his shotgun before firing them downrange as well.

As one of the Aparoids rushed Juggernaut, he ran forward impaling the corrupted creature on the sharpened compensators lining each of the barrels of his minigun. Laughing heartily he spun the barrels up, shredding the creature into ground purple goop. When it's cries of agony subsided he placed his boot onto its shattered exoskeleton and kicked it away. What was left of its inside spilled across the ground; steam from its still warm body rising into the air. As another began to charge towards him Juggernaut turned to meet it head on, depressing the trigger on his minigun. The rounds leapt from the barrel with high pitched screams slamming into the Aparoid, shredding it and the others behind it. As that group fell his motion tracker spotted another group trying to flank him, and he soon turned on them and as before liquefied them all. A soft chirp of acknowledgment rang throughout his helmet. His eyes dropped to his ammo counter, understanding the warning.

"Mag out, reloading!" He shouted dropping behind several large sandbags allowing Odessa and O'Neal to cover him if not for a moment. The now empty energy core powering the gun ejected itself from the energy compartment prompting him to take one off his bandolier with a single swift motion and slam the new one into the open slot. As the cell entered the hatch the compartment closed itself. It took a few seconds for the gun to recycle itself with the new cartridge, but once it was ready it chirped in acknowledgment and the barrels began to spin up once again.

"Here I come cowards!" He shouted rising back up to join the others.

One of the flying Aparoid fell from the sky directly behind Odessa. She spun on her heels unsheathing her sword ready to cut in two. However it was already dead at her feet, much of its skull missing or shredded.

"You're getting slow 6. Don't worry, I got your back my sweet little rose." She hissed angrily into the com before heel stomping the bug into the ground.

"Enough of your games Ghost. Computer, filter out SF Operator #5 communications."

"Acknowledged isolating voice frequency...Buffering...Confirmed...all communications from SF Operator #5 isolated."

"Good. Keep it that way unless Keywords, Aparoid or danger are included."

"Acknowledged."

From over her shoulder she heard something between a bellowing roar and a guttural laugh. "Who sends all of these puny bugs to fight me? I will squash you all beneath my boots!"

More thumping of heavy plasmatic energy rounds told her exactly who it was. Slashing at the walking tank's armor an Aparoid shrieked furiously. As it rose onto its rear legs, towering above him it slashed down at him with its razor sharp front talons. As it came down Juggernaut threw his minigun into the massive bug, impaling it on the serrated compensators. Repeating the process from before he span the barrels up shredding its internal organs into liquid goo. Before he could scrape it off his barrel another group began to rush towards him shrieking and chittering in hopes of a quick and easy kill. He turned towards them with their fallen comrade still dangling off the barrel. He depressed the trigger on his weapon sending molten hot plasmatic energy through the dead Aparoid and into the oncoming ones. They fell in shrieking heaps around him and the other members of Shadow-Force.

Another large wave of blackened dark-matter energy shot over his head forcing the wildcat to duck in an attempt to save his own life. As he hit the deck and the charges overshot him crashing into the trenches behind and his men. Once O'Neal was out of his line of sight Juggernaut leveled his weapon on the large tank like Aparoid, and depressed the trigger. The rounds effortlessly ate through the armoring on the bug and sent it crashing into the ground bleeding dark purple and blue goo profusely across the blackened stone. He grunted hard as his hit the floor, robbing the wind from his lungs. With the wildcat struggling to pick himself up, an Aparoid Blazer tried to take advantage of his downed status by rushing at him with outstretched claws. As it was about to descend upon him a quick flash of steel flickered into his sight and the Aparoid froze in place. The bug was just split in half by Odessa. As both halves of the body slid apart, spilling intestines and corrupted goo across the ground at his feet the female king cobra flicked her sword once to clean the slimy blood off then quickly set it next to her carbine yet again.

She said nothing while extending her paw towards him. He took a strong grip on her paw and hefted himself up. "I guess I owe you one." She merely grunted in acknowledgment before drawing and leveling her carbine towards the Aparoids once again.

More waves were beginning to gather just outside their range. Hundreds if not thousands of Aparoids were gathering all around Shadow-Force. They were almost surrounded, and the time to escape was running out.

"Ghost, find us an escape route. We don't have the munitions to fight off all these damn bugs."

"Understood boss. I'm seeing a route through the northeastern section of the trenches. You're about two clicks from it. Make a left at the next junction, and you should find it."

"Copy that. Shadow-Force on me, we're Oscar Mike!" O'Neal shouted through the headset rousing the attention of his men. Four little blips of light in the bottom corner of his H.U.D blinked in acknowledgment and one by one the other member stacked up behind him, still providing fire-support where needed. Another blazer scuttled close to Odessa, striking quickly trying to catch the cobra off guard. With lightning like reflexes Odessa spun on her heels kicking the large creature across its lower jaw. Stunned it reeled away from her shrieking while clawing at its own face. She sneered at the monster and reached for her blade.

"Nmad sgub! I'll tcesid uoy lla!" She screamed in her own native language. With one swift stroke she split the bug in half splattering pints of the corrupted goo across the ground. With one swift flick of her agile wrist Odessa carved the bug apart. Uncaring whether it was truly dead or not, she replaced the sword on her back and fell in line the others.

'You still manage to surprise me child. Your bloodlust is just as fierce as it was back home..'

'Now's not the time for reminiscing Onami. One slip here and we're both done for.'

"Hmm. You, yes, me not so much. So long as I remain a sword, they cannot corrupt me nor assimilate me. After all, I'm just a spirit. Oh, and Odessa?'

'Yes?'

'Duck.'

Her eyes widened in surprise as another Aparoid dropped down before her. She ducked as it swung one of its large razor sharp mandibles in her general direction.

"I'm getting tired of playing tag with these overgrown cockroaches." She muttered irritably. As the large bug shot forward again, she leaned backwards allowing the bug to move over her. Using her tail like a springboard, she catapulted herself directly into the bug's abdominal region, impaling her sword straight through its central nerve stem. It shrieked loudly as it hit the ground hard until it stopped squirming altogether. Odessa landed gracefully atop the defeated bug, bowing slightly towards the other members of her team.

"Pfft. Showoff." Siren muttered through the headset. She unconsciously rolled her eyes before rejoining the others.

With the devil nipping aggressively at their heels Shadow-Force began a strategic withdrawal from the current heavily infested area, dodging incoming fire with unnatural ease. Even Juggernaut managed to avoid being struck by the large bolts of darkened energy with relative ease.

"Another forty meters and then make a right. You should see some destroyed tanks hanging above the trenches."

"Copy that. Any sign of our friends?"

"They're 10 meters and closing from all sides. If you can get past the tanks before you're surrounded I can shoot out the fuel cells and create a temporary barrier for you."

"Good to know. Keep me posted 5."

"Copy that boss ma- holy shit!" He shouted in surprise. "Odessa, 3:00 o'clock high! Hit the deck!"

Following the sudden instructions from the ferret, the female king cobra dropped onto her stomach just as a massive black-widow Aparoid dropped in front of her. The others were thrown forward as the shock-wave of heavy debris overtook them.

As it narrowed its beady eyes on the cobra, it raised its large legs into the air before letting loose an ear shattering scream.

Struggling to her feet Odessa drew her small subcompact machine pistol from an under-arm compartment, leveling the red-dot sight on the large creature. As the laser sight on the side zeroed in the spider's head Odessa grinned ever so slightly.

"You would dare raise a weapon againssst usss? You're death will be all that more painful if you resssist." It cackled aloud while inching towards her. The strangely monotones insect words were laced with subtle hints of femininity, possibly from the host that was corrupted. The threat however fell on deaf ears. Odessa was instead looking past the large driver like monster towards her teammates. "Cap, looks like I'm gonna have to catch up with you later. This thing won't go down easy and I can't slip by with cloak."

"6, you sure?" O'Neal asked unsure as to her intentions. Although they could in theory take down the massive spider as a single unit, they would be surrounded and annihilated by the oncoming swarms of blazers and tanks.

Nodding slightly she drew her sword in her other paw while adjusting her biometric systems with voice commands. The other turned tail and ran through the maze of trenches, looking for the route to the objective.

"Begin injections. 40 millimeters of adrenaline, and Dolaxe now." She shivered slightly as small hypodermic needles punched through the tough layer of scales on her neck injecting the potent drugs into her system. Almost immediately after absorbing the drugs into her bloodstream, her heart-rate spiked and the world began to slow to a mere crawl.

{Dolaxe is a muscle stimulant that increases the blood to oxygen ratio allowing the user to run for longer, and react quicker. Time in a sense begins to slow for the user. A 40 millimeter injection will last anywhere between 20 minutes to 5 depending on the circumstances and stress levels of the user. Overdose can result in rapid fatigue of the body, and partial loss of memory for a short time. However, there are no serious lasting effects to using this stimulant as it is derived from natural plants found on Sauria called Limber Root. The drug itself is also counteracted by white blood cells preventing any harmful effects from becoming permanent. When used in conjunction with adrenaline the effects are enhanced even further allowing the user to perform at an enhanced rate for far longer. However, because of the lengthy cultivation period it requires to fine tune the drug Odessa has to use it very sparingly, under only the most extreme circumstances.}

"Calculate remaining time till drug is expended." She hissed into the H.U.D, while bringing her sword up into a battle ready stance.

"...Estimated time, 10 minutes, 53 seconds. Cloaking will be disabled to allow increased movement speed. Flat space storage will be unavailable for the duration of this time..."

"Yes yes, I know the drill. Begin running diagnostics on remaining armor strength and estimated amount of damage till total suit failure."

"...suit is running at 89% efficiency. Estimated remaining regenerative armor layer strength at 43%. Suit will begin shutting down all none vital functions at 10% strength. "

"Damn. Not a lot of room for error then." She again muttered narrowing her eyes into dangerous slits. "Time to play I guess." Easing into a combat position, Odessa reared her sword over her head while lowering her body in a half crouching position. Inhaling deeply, the female king cobra prepared to do battle against the massive drider.

"En-garde you bitch!" She shouted before lunging forward sword glinting dangerously in the sooty air.

**{Time-12:00 PM December 21st 2259}**

**{Location- Katina Outpost}**

"All batteries, open fire!"

It had begun as the sun rose increasingly higher into the sky. On the northern and eastern section of the wall that surrounded the base the Cornerian forces had spotted the Aparoids first. They were few in number, merely scouts to the main attack force. However in only a few moments after spotting the base each of the five blazer scouts signaled to the rest of the invasion forces. Snipers placed atop the wall tried in vain to eliminate them before they could signal their comrades. They themselves were the victims of counter-snipers consumed by the virus.

As the last sniper fell from the wall into the swirling sands below the Aparoids began to charge towards them with nothing but a few landmines standing between them and the Cornerian defenders. The heavy thumping of plasmatic mortars and artillery rocked the open and rusty air as dozens of molten plasma bolts struck the ground and the oncoming invaders. Simply put, the Cornerians were struggling to hold back the onslaught of Aparoid forces. On the opposite side of the wall, things were a very different story.

With a single command dozens of ancient trebuchet siege engines positioned just behind the wall began to hurl two hundred pound missiles of solid granite downrange crushing anything that was unfortunate to be in their paths. Next to fire were the large Arcatinus catapults throwing lit stones into the oncoming hordes setting all they touched ablaze while crushing dozens of other as they rolled past them.

As the Aparoids began to charge across the open plains they were met with ground shattering explosions from outdated, but effective high-explosive rounds from the merc's howitzers cannons. As more and more of the corrupted bug poured onto the battlefield the mines all along the choke-points began to go off Spyke laughed aloud to himself. He turned to the many dozens of archers poised along the walls of the fort.

"Srehcra, lluf yellov!" In one single volley of fiery wooden shafts, hundreds of arrows began to fly through the air towards their targets. As they landed on and around the Aparoids, the liquid wildfire that had been sprayed there previously ignited into a raging inferno. The screams and cries of the burning bugs brought an almost sadistic glee to Spyke.

On the other side of the fort the Commander of the Cornerian forces, one General Imites, had ordered a full artillery barrage onto the Aparoids. The large prongs on the cannon of the nicknamed Bahamut artillery began to spin rapidly around a solid tungsten core coating it with ever denser coats of plasma until it reached the proper firing speed. In unison, the seven cannons fired at once sending their cargo screaming downrange. The explosion light up the sky as hundreds Aparoid infantry were simultaneously incinerated, while dozens more were thrown high into the air. As they fell back to ground they landed on their allies crushing them beneath their own bodies. The smaller land mortars fired after the larger cannons had, sending a large blanket of super heated plasma and high explosive shells towards the bugs. The screams and cries of the bugs reached the general who stood atop the wall overlooking the cannons as they fired, not bothering to smile even in the least.

I only wish Shadow-Force were here right now. Maker knows we need their expertise." He looked down his men. "Keep up the pressure men! Don't let a single bug through!" A rousing cry of cheers rose into the sky. As the cries began to die back down into normal shouting of commands, another scream cracked the air itself. From on high an Aparoid scout no bigger than a marine was on a collision course with the General. Without so much as batting an eyelash, the general drew his thin saber from its sheath and with one swift motion beheaded the creature as it flew at him. Both its head and body rolled down the side of the base wall onto the ground below. He flicked the saber once to remove it of the blood and replaced in the scabbard on his waist.

"Piece of filth." He muttered. He turned away from the oncoming creatures and returned to his position within the bunker on the wall.

Another Bahamut began to charge up its main cannon. "Adjust the angle by 4 degrees...fi-" The commander's cry was cut short as a loud thump reverberated through the tank. The entire thing heaved to the side as something hit the tank solidly in the flank. "What the hell?" Another loud thump echoed through the tank. A flash of blue ripped through the top on the cabin impacting the large cylindrical fuel cell. Before he could even scream the entire tank lit up in a bright blue ball of plasma energy.

"SOUL! Soul incoming!" Someone shouted from atop the ramparts. A piercing scream echoed across the field as a large shadow descended upon the fort. Thunderous footsteps rocked the very foundation of the fortress as the monstrous Aparoid began to crawl out from behind the mountains. Twice the size of the dragoons, and with armor almost four feet in places and a cannon that could make mincemeat out of anything it was truly the most fearsome land based Aparoid war machine. Another round from this monster screamed through the air. Another flash of blue and a land mortar exploded into a ball of twisted metal. The three remaining Bahamut cannons began to charge up their main cannons, however, more of the deadly accurate rounds screamed through the air until they finally impacted into their hulls turning them all into large smoldering hulks. The many troops that surrounded them were instantly infected by the blast and began to turn on their allies, slaughtering and ripping anyone close enough to shreds. As the artillery began to wane and finally end, the Aparoids charged full speed towards the wall screeching with anticipating hunger.

On the other side of the wall things were beginning to go sour for Spyke and his troops. With the last of the wildfire now burnt out and the archers falling prey to the airborne Aparoids, both Spyke and his men were slowly but surely losing ground to the onslaught of Aparoidian forces.

An Aparoid came shrieking at the aging wolf. He gripped the massive bug under the mandibles and lifted in into the air.

Swinging his blade directly at the bug's head he split the cursed creature in half. A soft flick of his wrist sent the blood from the blade flying to the ground.

A shout of pain brought his attention away from his fight. One of his own troops had been impaled by one of their allies and began to set its sights on another unsuspecting soldier. Spyke grimace angrily

"Arson, deal with that one."

"Affirmative. I'll put em out of his misery.."

As the infected wolf stalked towards the group of unsuspecting troops it stopped in its tracks as a heavy and loud thumping of metal boots reached its now corrupted ears. As it turned towards this new looming threat it came face to face with a heavy built eight barreled gatling-gun.

"May the ancestors preserve you brother." The Aparoid soldier screamed as the barrel launched several hundred rounds into its skull, completely shredding it into nothing more than corrupted goo. As another leapt at him from the wall Arson, the walking tank of Spyke's little group barely turned towards it and threw all his weight into one gun backed punch. The eight barrels of the gatling gun ripped through the soft skull of the infested Cornerian marine sending its body flying backwards until it impacted with the wall. Arson lifted his arm up again and turned his weapon on another group of advancing Aparoid blazers as they scuttled over the wall. Holding his arm steady, he began to unload the depleted uranium rounds into the oncoming hordes. He barely batted an eyelash as they fell before him in broken and liquid heaps.

From out of the walking apocalypse's shoulders came a small six barreled rocket launcher which he fired into the Aparoids as they continued to pour over the wall. Large plumes of smoke trailed behind the rockets as they flew through the air. Each one sent a brilliant ball of both red and black flames, as well as Aparoids and corrupted soldiers of both sides into the air. Some were vaporized instantly, some were maimed far beyond recognition as they crashed back into the ground. Another volley leapt forth from the shoulder mounted launcher slamming heavily into the bugs again throwing them into the air. He grinned as more of the bugs tumbled down the walls and onto the ground adding to the already impressive body pile. Another barrage of rockets flew from his shoulder again slamming into the oncoming hordes, and again sending dozens flying through the air.

"Too easy. Like shooting fish in a barrel." He muttered while his fierce grin continued to grow.

"Yeehaw!" Someone shouted from amidst the chaos. Arson turned his head slightly while keeping the hail of up to see who was making the loud noises. Low And Behold, it was none other than Kane, riding a Dragoon bareback. One of his small assassin blades were buried in the creatures carapace securing his position on the bug. His free arm was waving around wildly in excitement with a discarded helmet tightly in between his fingers.

"Phft."Arson snorted. "Showoff."

Kane, hearing his little remark grinned and impaled his other assassin blade into the Aparoid's brainstem, killing it instantly. It fell to the ground while Kane landed somewhat roughly on his feet.

"Did you see that? I just killed a Dragoon. AND I DIDN'T EVEN NEED A SPACESHIP!" He laughed hysterically holding his stomach with his paws. Arson rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the oncoming hordes that continued to scurry over the walls.

"Arson! Fall back to the inner walls! The Cornerians have been overrun and the Maccabee is almost in position! Fall back now!" Spyke shouted while splitting a Cornerian Marine's skull in two with his sword.

"We need to go now Ars-" He was stopped as the distinct scream of a mortar Aparoid mortar round filled the air.

"Get down!" Spyke shouted diving for cover from the round. As it neared the point of impact, Arson reached out with his metal clad paw and caught the round before it hit the ground. Grinning wickedly again he turned to the hordes and drew his arm back.

"Present for ya bed bugs!" The glowing rod of tainted energy flew through the air as Arson released it from his hand. Spyke watched, grinning to himself. "Well, that's something you don't see every day."

A bright flash of blue and purple lit up the sky as the rod impacted against the wall sending both Aparoids and fragments of the wall flying in all directions. As the dust began to settle around the fort, an eerie silence fell across the field.

Spyke said nothing as the rest of his forces began to retreat into the inner walls of the fort. He grinned as a particular shadow began to spread over the fort from high above.

"Spyke the Maccabee is in position and awaiting orders." The black furred wolf reached up to his earpiece and clicked the simple device once.

"Target grid 734536, direction 4800 with the M.A.C cannon. Prepare shuttles for immediate and full retreat. This hunk of rock is lost."

"Affirmative. Preparing the light speed accelerator system. ETA, 7 seconds."

"Alright then. Tuck tail boys! M.A.C round incoming!"

The sky darkened to a deep red hue. as the remaining troops looked into the sky, a single red beam could be seen over the large Soul Aparoid. The beam itself managed to even distract the Aparoids for a moment, causing each one of the several billion bugs to look into the sky.

"Hey bugs!" Spyke shouted hoisting his sword into the air. "Present for ya!"

Everyone froze. Everything stopped. An intense flash of blinding light tore across the sky as the huge 3000ton tungsten rod slammed into the ground and the Soul Aparoid. It had no time to even screech before it and every Aparoid around it was vaporized into nothing. The following shockwave from the impact knocked all those remaining in the fort down on their tails, including Spyke, not expecting such power behind the cannon. For several seconds, all was quiet. Not even the Aparoids that remained made a sound. Most were stunned from the psychic backlash to even move. Spyke, rubbing his now pounding head rose from the ground using his large sword to steady himself. As he looked out towards the large crater where the Soul had once stood, nothing remained. Everything from the small Blazers, large Dragoons, and the massive Soul had been obliterated in the mere blink of an eye. "C.O.S, report, Arson, Ripper, Kane, someone talk to me. Everyone alright?"

"Spyke gah... it's Arson, we've got a big problem."

"What's going on?"

"Spyke, the round tore through the other side of the planet. The entire thing is beginning to destabilize and my sensors are saying this thing is about to rockin and rollin any second."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"No. And if we wanna make it back with our skins attached now would be a really good time to leave."

"Right. Begin rounding up any of our survivors. We're leaving this planet five minutes ago."

"And the Cornerians?"

"Do you really even need to ask that Arson? Fuck em all."

The comms were silenced as Spyke pulled it from his ear, and placed it in the front pocket of his jacket.

"Well then," he mused to himself while folding his arms across his chest, grinning widely. "I guess that works."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Acknowledgments, and copyrights.<em>**

**_StarFox-(c) Nintendo_**

**_Spyke, Arson, Kane, C.O.S.-(c) SpykeTheWolf_**

**_Bahamut Artillery Landmortar artillery Richard O'Neal, Odessa ScarletFang, Christian Sharp-(Ignitus), Jackal TriKill, Nazareth Oikonny, Jasmine McCloud, Joseph Tinge-(Siren), Savage O'Reilly-(Juggernaught), Wesker MauskBurg-(Ghost), Adamas, Kril Al' Kriid, and the Figure (c) Landmaster776/ Grey/ The Shadow in Exile (aka me)_**

**_Crona(c)Maria-Pipkin_**

**_Spyro and Cynder(c) whoever the fuck owns em' now._**

**_Many thanks to my beta-reader and general adviser SpykeTheWolf. Without his help this chapter would not be where it is today._**

**_Peace- The Exile in Shadow_**


	5. Lylat Chronicles Update

Hey guys, Grey here. Just a heads up on current events and whatnot. Yes, this story is still in the works, however with all the bullshit thats been going on in the last year or so I've found very little time to sit down and write alot in the next chapter. I'm not stuck in the plotline or anything, I just have no time to do so. Between trying to find a decent stable paying job and trying to get into college its not easy. However, with any hopes I can push out the next chapter soon. No exact date, but within the next two months or so.  
>One more thing, expect plenty of cameos later on from different multi-versus (considering that one of the main characters is from an entirely different timeline himself) however I will not reveal them until said chapters are released.<p>

So, anyway for those of you still reading I thank you.  
>Peace- The Exile in Shadow<p> 


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